Deltora's Protector
by Ravenclaw-Girl28
Summary: Broken and near death 15-year-old Harry James Potter stumbles upon the land of Deltora during the time of the Shadow Lord's rule. Taken in by a familiar peddler, Harry creates a new identity and becomes what Deltora needs the most...a Protector.
1. The Island

**I know, another story. I've noticed that there is no Harry Potter and Deltora Quest crossovers, which I found disappointing, so I'm writing my own. Deltora Quest is among my favourite stories to read and I was so excited when I noticed that they had made an anime of it. I haven't seen all of it but it did get me in the mood to write this up. None of my other stories are abandoned and in regards to HP:CO all I need to do is merge my paragraphs together. I will update it eventually.**

**Anyway, let me know what you think of this!**

**Warnings: **

Implied torture, no details but it is there

Death

**Key:**

"blah" speaking out loud

_blah_ thoughts

* * *

Deltora's Protector

Chapter 1 – The Island

* * *

It was a place where not even the bravest souls would venture. Completely inaccessible to the outside world except for the scattering of windows high up in the air. The very sight of the place could cause a grown man to run in fear for it was cold, dark, and reeked of death. Screams could be heard by passing sailors, but the treacherous rocks, shallows and waves prevented any help from coming. Aircraft would not survive in this part of the world, for whatever was seen above, was never seen again.

It was upon this island, in the middle of no where, surrounded by a vast ocean, that the worst Dark Lord of the century had made his prison. It wasn't Azkaban; many of his prisoners may have liked to go there for a holiday at some point in time, but then again, many of his prisoners didn't last long in his care.

The longest surviving prisoner was a young man, he had been there for four months, a record the Death Eaters, the Dark Lord's henchmen, were keeping track of. The young man, whose very name had once sent the Death Eaters into a rage of mindless violence, had become a shell of the man he used to be. His once vibrant black hair, which had stuck up in any and every directions, was limp and dirty across his pale face. His skin was just as pale as his face for he hadn't seen proper sunlight for so long, and the darkness had become his only haven. His eyes were always closed, they never opened anymore, but beneath his eyelids were emerald eyes, dull and lifeless.

The young man couldn't have been more than fifteen years old, but his appearance had him looking much younger. Lack of food and proper hygiene had him looking closer to the age of twelve, a very much abused twelve year old. There wasn't a clean bit of skin on him, but through the patches of dirt, scars and blood, one could faintly recognise the paleness of the flesh. His clothing hung off his skinny frame as rags. It may have been four months of absolute torture for him, but he had managed to retain the use of his clothes, not that he cared about it anymore.

His name was Harry James Potter.

He had just reached the end of his Forth Year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Well, not quite the end, more like at the end of the Triwizard Tournament. He was surprised that he was still alive; especially with the manner he was…retrieved.

Despite what his friends had thought of him, Harry was not unintelligent. In fact, the second the portkey had pulled him and Cedric Diggory away from the safety of the school and into the graveyard, Harry had immediately figured out that they were in trouble and needed to get back to the school. The two of them had dashed to the Cup, but while Cedric had grabbed it, a violent red curse had hit Harry in the back, preventing him from leaving the graveyard until the time was right. The last thing Cedric heard from Harry was his scream of sheer agony, and then he was gone.

Limp on the ground, his nerve endings on fire, Harry was dragged to a certain tomb and restrained with magically conjured rope. He then lay witness to the resurrection of the most fear Dark Lord anyone had ever known…Lord Voldemort.

It was mere luck that prevented Harry from dying that day four months ago, though many wouldn't call it that. He had been on the ground, drained from the brief duel and exposure to the painful Cruciatus Curse, on the verge of dying, and then Lord Voldemort changed his mind.

A portkey later and he was the most important prisoner on the Island.

The door slowly sung open and flickers of light assaulted Harry's closed eyelids. He didn't move for he lacked the energy and the will. Hands grabbed his weak and frail body and began dragging him out of the door. He was well used to this, and had even memorised the various passageways that led to hell and even to where the windows were that could lead him to his escape. The Death Eaters had stopped blindfolding him when they realised that his eyes were almost glued shut from all the blood and dirt on his face.

Harry could even identify the various Death Eaters who came to visit him. Some had heavy footfalls, some had light, there were those with a quick pace and then those who walked slowly…each Death Eater had their signature and Harry was able to recognise them that way. The one leading him now, though, was his former potions professor, Severus Snape. There was reluctance in his movements and occasionally a limp from where Voldemort had attacked him.

Up ahead were two more Death Eaters, Crabbe and Goyle, and they were guarding the so-called Throne Room. Harry knew that this was where Voldemort liked to torture people; he didn't like to get his robes dirty by walking though the dungeon corridors. Snape continued to drag him across the floor, more than likely creating more dirt streaks as Harry couldn't remember the last time he had had a shower or a bath.

When he was dropped unceremoniously to the ground, Harry knew that they had arrived at their final destination.

_I wonder if I will die toady_, Harry thought, as he often did when he was in the Throne Room. He still hadn't moved once of his own accord, and he had no intention of doing so, despite how uncomfortable the floor was and how his broken arm was pressed underneath his body.

"Giving up so soon Harry?" came the voice of his tormentor. "Why, it's only been four months!"

_So it's October then,_ Harry thought._ How close to Halloween are we?_

"You'll be with your dear mudblood mother soon Harry, maybe you might even see her today."

With that the pleasantries were over. Pain washed over his already pain-filled body as Voldemort used him to release stress from whatever problems he had had that day, and once he was done he allowed his Death Eaters to participate. Weeks ago Harry had lost his voice from screaming and a well placed cutting curse. He doubted that he would ever be able to speak again, but then again, he doubted that he would ever see anything beyond the walls of the Island Prison.

The pain disappeared as he slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Harry? Talk to me, come on Harry, you have to wake up."

The persistent voice echoed softly in the dark cell. Harry knew where it was coming from. Two weeks ago Voldemort had captured the Longbottom Heir, Neville Longbottom, and good friend of Harry's. He hadn't been tortured as much, though the laughter of Bellatrix Lestrange often drifted up the corridor once she was done. Many thought that it was a miracle Neville was still sane.

Harry moved his good arm in front of him to drag his broken body across the floor to the wall. There was a small hole through the brickwork that allowed the two to communicate. How Neville had known that Harry was in the cell next to him he still hadn't figured out. Harry had lost his voice a few weeks before Neville turned up, nevertheless, Harry was grateful for the company and that is the only reason he continuously pulled his abused body across the floor. He found the hole by touch alone and slipped his hand in, hiding what he was doing by curling his body around the hole. He felt a large hand wrap around his own small one and then he relaxed.

"You took a while to answer me this time Harry," Neville said with concern through the wall. "Bastard must have been angry today."

Harry drew his finger lengthways across Neville's palm from thumb to pinky, signifying 'no'. They had come up with the method of communication when Neville suggested it. They needed to know how the other was.

"He was happy?" Neville asked. Harry altered the direction of his finger so that it went from Neville's wrist towards his fingertip, which meant 'yes'.

"Bastard," Neville growled. "We have got to get you out of here. The fact that you're still alive has caused discussion amongst the Death Eaters. You know the only other prisoner to last a long time in here was back during Tom's former reign, and he only lasted six weeks."

Neville had started to call the Dark Lord by his former name when Harry had spelt it out for him. Like Hermione had always said, "fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself". Harry squeezed Neville's hand, signifying 'I know' and allowed his hand to go limp. Neville tightened his grip so as to keep Harry in the land of the living, and also to keep a measure of his pulse.

Harry had no idea how long they stayed like that, his sense of time had become warped, and without his sight he couldn't even see where the sun was, or what light they had. Food was in short supply, and rats no longer visited him in his cell. Some moldy bread was occasionally left by the door, but Harry had long since lost the will to move that far. If he died of starvation that meant that he would no longer be in his own personal Hell, he would be free.

Several hours later the door opened again, and Harry reluctantly pulled his hand from Neville's. His body was rolled over so that he lay on his back, and from the soft tone coming from the Death Eater above him, Harry knew that it was Snape. Neville seemed to know it too because his question through the wall was about Harry's condition.

"Not good," Snape replied softly. "How he's still alive I don't know."

"Get him out of here Snape," Neville ordered. "While you can still get him out, do it."

It had been a long time since Neville had been afraid of their former professor. Being the only Death Eater to bring them food and the softly spoken hints, the two knew that he was a spy. Snape only sneered and insulted them when there were witnesses, so that was how the two knew if he was alone or not.

"The Order will be coming tonight," Snape whispered. "The wards will be down for a short amount of time when the Dark Lord leaves, be ready to go."

"I've been ready for weeks Snape," Neville stated. "It's Harry who's going to need help."

Harry let the conversation rush over him. He knew, and he guessed that the other two did as well, that he wouldn't survive being taken away from the Island. He was hanging onto life by a thread, the only reason he was still alive was because of Neville.

"Be ready Longbottom, there will only be one chance of escaping this place, you miss it and you will die here."

Snape left. Once the door was shut Harry rolled back onto his side with a great deal of difficulty and reached for Neville's hand again. Neville said nothing, just returned the gesture, knowing that Harry needed the slight contact.

"We will get out of here Harry, I promise you."

* * *

It was several hours later when Harry felt the wards shift and disappear. He squeezed Neville's hand to let him know that the time had come and rolled away from the wall. He remained on the ground as the effort involved for sitting was far beyond what he was capable of. He could hear shouts down the corridor, some voices he recognised as Death Eaters, and some he hadn't heard for so long. He smiled slightly, his end had come, and one way or another he would be leaving his cell.

He could hear Neville leaving his cell and the hurry of feet to his door. It swung open with a bang, and Harry heard gasps of surprise and horror. Neville appeared before him and gently laid a hand on his shoulder. Harry attempted to move his good arm to grab Neville's hand, but Neville saw the struggle and grabbed it himself.

"I'm here Harry, and we're getting out of here."

He was lifted from the floor by strange hands that didn't belong to Neville and he desperately clung to the boy's hand. Neville hurried along beside them as they made their way out of the building. Harry knew the way they were traveling, it was to the roof of the building. He had been there only once when he still could open his eyes, so that he could be shown how pointless it was to try and swim away. There was not a single mass of land in sight. He found it amusing that the only way out was to go to the roof.

Shouts appeared from behind him and his hand slipped from Neville's. Death Eaters were chasing them and firing spells as they went. Harry knew that he, and the unknown man carrying him, had been separated from the others. He heard Neville's shouts grow fainter as he was carried away.

"Damn, stupid Death Eaters," the man holding him cursed. "Now which way?"

Death Eater screams behind them caused the man to spin sharply, and the brush of breeze on Harry's face let him know exactly where he was. They were next to the only window on this level, and on the wrong side of the building to be heading to the roof.

"There he is! Stop him!" the Death Eaters screamed upon spotting them. Harry knew that he was about to die, he only hoped that Neville would escape. Curses flashed past them, there colour noticeable even behind his closed eyelids. The sound of shattering glass came from behind him, and then there was a flash of green.

The man holding him had turned at the last minute and taken the killing curse in the back, dying immediately. As the arms holding him went limp, Harry noticed that the force of the curse had actually sent them out the window, and they were falling into the ocean far below them.

Harry's last thought before crashing into the water, was that he would finally be able to see his parents again.

**

* * *

**

Ta da! Up next is Deltora

**_Chapter 2 - The Peddler_**


	2. The Peddler

Deltora's Protector

Chapter 2 – The Peddler

* * *

It was dark for the longest time. Cold darkness seeping into every part of his body, the weight of water pushing down on him, and the pull of the current plunging him down into the rocks below. The arms of his would-be savior holding him, even limp in death, had disappeared completely. His body would wash up on the shore, but the body of Harry Potter, well the boy doubted that that would ever be seen again.

He wasn't breathing, but his mind was wide open and aware of what was happening. His heart was beating, albeit slowly, and his body was being flung from place to place with the motion of the ocean.

Eventually, his head broke the surface. The sound of the waves and the birds assaulted his ears before he was pulled under again into the silence of the underwater world. At one stage he found himself airborne from the rolling of the waves and his abused body ached even more as it was plunged back down again.

When he finally felt that his body could no longer accept what was being done to him, something warm wrapped around his body and kept him still from the current. To Harry, it was the first warm thing he had touched since before the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament. It felt like a soft and gentle hug, protecting him from the horrors of the underwater world. Whatever was wrapping around his body had done it several times over, and Harry figured that it was a giant sea snake, an octopus, a squid, or some other animal that was probably looking for a meal. He no longer cared for his fate. He just wanted the nightmare to end.

Sound assaulted his ears again as his head was lifted above the surface. Harry almost cried at the thought that he was still alive. He longed for the comforting darkness that had been his friend for several months to take him away and let him rest. But it never came.

His eyes remained closed and the need to breath was very slight, but there was no end to the torment he was under. When he felt the animal holding him release its grip, and the warmth leaving him as it did, Harry hoped that his time had come.

But it hadn't.

His body, limp and lifeless as it was, drifted towards the land with the waves before finally coming to a stop on the rocks. The water, much warmer than it had been previously, covered his lower body like a blanket while his upper body rested out of the water. His eyes were still closed, he was still in pain, and he doubted that he would be able to go anywhere even if he tried.

He finally drifted off…into the blackness he had been looking for.

* * *

Harry awoke some time around midday, judging from the way light fell on him. He was disappointed to note that he was still alive, and that no one had found him.

With a great deal of effort, Harry struggled to open his eyes, rubbing dirt, blood and salt from them as he did so with his good arm. Eventually he got his eyes opened, but was unable to open them far on account of the sheer amount of light around him. It almost blinded him and caused tears to spring up and protect them.

Opening them until they were mere slits, Harry used his good arm to drag himself across the rocks to where he could make out the outline of a building of some description. The going was slow and painful but Harry didn't stop. At the very least he figured he'd die on the way, or there would be someone there that could help him.

Painful drag after painful drag eventually led Harry to the door of the building. Closer to he could recognise it as a lighthouse, and his hope grew as even he knew that a lighthouse needed to be looked after at all times by the lighthouse keeper. Yet no one came for him. He pulled himself up to the door and awkwardly maneuvered himself so that he was sitting, for the first time in a long time, and leant against the door. He was panting from the effort he had exerted getting from the rocky beach.

"Hello."

Harry jumped violently at the sound of a young girl's voice. His eyes snapped open, the light injuring them further, and he made out the image of a young girl in a yellow sundress with vibrant red hair. He continued to stare up at her before closing his eyes and slumping back against the door.

"Do you want to come inside?" the girl asked. "Father's not here at the moment but he won't mind if I help you inside."

The door swung open behind him and with the support gone Harry crashed to the ground. He groaned silently but did his best to try and get up. The girl appeared at his side and slipped his arm over her shoulder. Harry felt cold and warm at the same time. He knew, without even looking at the girl again, that she was the spirit of this lighthouse.

"My name's Verity," she said happily as she helped him to stagger to the nearby couch. "And this is my home. Bone Point Lighthouse. There's a sign out front that lets travelers know which lighthouse this one is. It says _The Bone Point Light,_ and has a nice poem beneath it.

_I was born in the mind of Adin. _

_I was made by the builders of Raladin._

_The magic of Tora protects me._

_Sailors in peril will bless me._

It was the first thing I was able to read. Doesn't it sound nice?"

Harry nodded his head in agreement but kept his aching eyes closed. He could feel Verity moving around the room before she started to clean his wounds. She continued to talk about her home and Harry learnt a lot.

He had washed ashore to a place named Deltora, and once it had been a peaceful land. There were seven tribes and each had a talisman that they drew their powers from. Long ago, a great evil had threatened the land of Deltora, though it was not known as that back then, and each of the seven tribes fought for survival against the evil. But they fought alone. In the old days, the tribes had never spoken with each other, all thinking evil things about the other tribes and believing that their own tribe was by far the strongest. In the divided state, the seven tribes were almost driven to extinction.

One day, a young blacksmith from the east, from the Del Tribe, dreamt of a belt with seven large gems adorned on it. He recognised one as the Del Talisman, which was a topaz, and reasoned that the other six were the talismans of the other tribes. He made the belt in secret and when the winter came and the evil armies had to stop, the blacksmith Adin travelled to each of the tribes and retrieved their gem.

He didn't, however, travel alone. By his side was a young man no one knows anything about, not even his name. He hid in the shadows and in secret protected Adin as the tribes weren't always welcoming. He became known as the Protector of Deltora, because through his and Adin's efforts, Deltora became a peaceful land that didn't have to fear the dangers of the north.

Once the belt was complete Adin and his companion led the seven tribes as one against the evil invading from the north and defeated them. From that time on the seven tribes co-existed peacefully. Adin became the first King of Deltora. Deltora's Protector was never seen after that, though rumours of his existence kept popping up in various places.

Harry thought that Verity was an excellent storyteller, and he hadn't even realised as she spoke that she had cleaned up the more painful of his wounds. He thought that she had reached the end of the story when she went silent, but peering through the small slit in his eyelids, he noticed that she seemed sad.

"Deltora is lost," she finally said. "The Shadow Lord has returned from his home beyond the mountains to the north and enslaved everyone. The Kings and Queens of Deltora have failed us in the worst way possible."

Harry wanted to ask how, but knew he couldn't. He also wanted to reach out to Verity, but she was too far away for him to do so.

"The Belt of Deltora shattered some fifteen years ago. Ever since then Deltora has not been a safe place. There are only small pockets in the land where there is any resistance."

Verity seemed to shake herself out of her melancholy. The very air around her seemed to warm up as she danced around the room.

"I'll get you a blanket and you can sleep right where you are, I doubt that you could get up the stairs."

With that she left. Harry let himself fall sideways so that he was lying horizontal on the couch with his legs hanging where he left them. When Verity returned she lifted them off the ground and trapped him inside a warm blanket.

"When you're well enough to go, you should head east along the Bone Point Road," Verity explained before he was asleep. "All will be well again, you'll see."

Harry felt her leave. He knew that she was still around, but not in the physical sense anymore. She had probably returned to doing whatever spirits do with their time.

He fell asleep.

* * *

It took many days for Harry to gain enough strength to so much as walk to the door never mind walking down Bone Point Road. There was always food on the table for him, soft foods like bread and hot soup, which he was able to eat without too much protest. He never saw Verity again, though he could feel her dancing around the lighthouse inside and outside, the same way he could feel the ghosts at Hogwarts.

One week after he had collapsed at Verity's feet Harry found himself strong enough to leave. He thanked the silent lighthouse and started to walk slowly down the road.

It was windy and there were several hills that caused Harry's healing injuries to protest, but he continued on. He had no idea what he was looking for, and it was only Verity's word that had him moving. His thoughts were filled with Neville and the "Order" Snape had mentioned. He hoped that they had gotten away safely, and were having better luck than he was. He also hoped that Voldemort believed him to be dead. He didn't want the killer chasing after him anymore.

Ron and Hermione filled his thoughts, his best friends he believed he would never see again in the realm of the living. Cedric, the Hogwarts Champion and winner of the stupid tournament. Sirius, his godfather and the man who risked capture just to see him. There were tears in his eyes as he thought of them. He would never see any of them again.

"_Once there was an Ol-io,_

_Jolly-wolly Ol-io,_

_Once there was an Ol-io,_

_Fearsome as could be!_"

Harry froze as the sound of singing interrupted his thoughts. He staggered to the side of the road and crept along until he spotted a wagon sitting near what looked like a river, a horse eating the grass along the bank, and a man tending to a fire while singing his song.

"_I said to that Ol-io,_

_Jolly-wolly Ol-io,_

_I said to that Ol-io,_

_You don't bother me!_"

Harry stood behind the nearest tree and watched the man for a while. He was tall, not quite as tall as Hagrid, but still a giant of a man. His hair was golden and his skin dark and he sung that song at the top of his voice. His eyes were like golden honey, warm and inviting, and even with no one watching him, aside from Harry, there was a welcoming smile on his face which seemed to stretch from ear to ear.

"_Colly-wobble Ol-io,_

_Jolly-wobble Ol-io,_

_Colly-wobble Ol-io,_

_You don't bother me!_"

Harry rocked back on his feet slightly to dispel the slight pain he was in, and froze when the branches he was standing on cracked loudly in the sudden silence. The man was obviously not singing any longer, and when Harry looked, he noticed that he was staring right at him.

"If you are an Ol, I want no business with you," he said coldly. "A thief I will not tolerate; pirate, Grey Guard or mercenary, I suggest you run, but if you are lost or a customer, then I bid you join me by my fire."

The last thing he said, he said with a warm tone, not coldly as he had the warnings. But Harry hesitated. The clothes he was wearing were the ones he had been washed ashore in and they were rags. There were no shoes on his feet as there had been nothing his size in the lighthouse. He had seen himself in a mirror and knew that he looked a mess, especially with the bright red scar across his neck when the slicing curse had just missed decapitating him.

Nevertheless, Harry stepped away from the tree and walked into the circle of light provided by the fire. He hadn't even realised it, but his walk had taken him till sunset, and the shadows were growing longer and the darkness that little more complete.

"Who has harmed you young one?" the man asked, this time in concern and alarm. "Was it the Grey Guards? Where are your parents? When was the last time you ate?"

Harry was bewildered at the sudden change in the man. There was no jolly look in his eyes, nor was there even a hint of a smile on his face. The coldness from earlier was also gone, and there was no hint of danger from him. Yet when he stood up to walk closer, Harry unconsciously darted back behind the safety of the tree. The man raised his arms to show that he meant no harm.

"Young one, I did not mean to alarm you," he said but remained where he was. "My name is Steven, I am a peddler and this is one of the roads I rest on during my rounds. My horse here is Mellow and she has been with me for many years. My brother Nevets is also with me, though I think I shall introduce you to him another time. Do you have a name young one?"

During his introduction Harry had crept back around the tree so that he could be seen. At the last question Harry had pointed to the scar on his neck and pressed his lips together.

"You cannot speak?" Steven asked in horror. "What monsters have you been with? Child, come sit by the fire with me and have something to eat, you look like you haven't eaten anything in weeks."

Harry did as he was bid but kept the fire between him and Steven. As the warmth soaked into his cold bones Steven handed over a mug of warm liquid. Harry took, careful to keep his fingers from touching the man's, and stared into the contents.

"It's Queen Bee Honey," Steven said proudly. "Will warm you up quickly, that will. My mother makes it. There is high demand for it in Deltora."

Harry took a sip of the honey and felt it slide down his throat easily. It burned slightly but warmth followed its path. Harry sipped some more with slight wonder on his face and huddled ever closer to the fire.

"Be careful there child, the fire will burn you if you get any closer," Steven warned. "I believe I have a blanket you can use, and maybe some clothes that I can alter to fit you."

With that being said Steven walked to his caravan and started to rummage around until he gave a cry of triumph and pulled out several bits of cloth. He handed one to Harry when he came back over, and Harry wrapped it around himself gratefully. Steven sat back down where he had been before and started to pull at the hemlines of the clothing he had also brought out. Harry watched him silently, feeling sleepy and warm for the first time in ages. The lighthouse had been nice, but it wasn't naturally warm, there was magic involved. This, this was like being in the Gryffindor Common Room in front of the fire with all his friends around him.

His eyes started to droop as he slowly leant to the side. His head was cradled on his good arm, empty mug of honey in his healing hand, and blanket covering him from neck to toe. He fell asleep completely comfortable.

He didn't see Steven look at him in concern, nor did he feel the man lift him from the ground and put him in the caravan on a soft mattress. In fact, Harry was so deeply asleep that even when the sun rose and the caravan started to move, he remained fast asleep.

* * *

It was two days later that Harry finally opened his eyes. There were bandages wrapped around his deeper injuries, in particular his neck, arm, chest, legs and feet. His rags were missing, and the only thing covering him was the blanket he had fallen asleep under. He pulled his knees to his chest and made sure that the blanket was securely wrapped around him.

The first thing he noticed was that the area he was in was very small, more than likely Steven's caravan. He took a calming breath and closed his eyes. It was one thing that not even his friends knew about. Due to his childhood locked in the cupboard under the stairs Harry found it difficult to be in an enclosed area for a long period of time. The cupboards he went into at Hogwarts were fine as long as the door was kept open, but extended periods of time inside small areas where he could touch all corners of the room without moving had him in a panic and short of breath.

With his eyes closed he could make out the fact that the caravan was moving as it jolted sideways occasionally from various holes in the road. There was the sound of life outside, birds making a noise, trees creaking, bells jingling and even Steven singing. Harry focused on the man's voice and made himself as small as possible. He could pretend, like he had at home, that he wasn't where he was and that the area he was in was wide open.

When the caravan stopped and Steven stopped singing, Harry automatically opened his eyes and his location once again became obvious. He struggled to take a calming breath but already his heart rate had increased and his face had lost all of its colour. The door opened and without even thinking about what he was doing Harry found himself outside and attached to Steven's front.

The man's worry was almost tangible as his arms came around the boy to keep him off the ground. Harry took several calming breaths with wide open eyes so that he could see what his mind was telling him…there was no danger.

"Easy there child," Steven said softly. "You're safe. What has frightened you so?"

Harry looked him in the eye and then back at the innocently parked caravan. Steven set him on the ground gently before looking back in the caravan. He saw nothing in there but when he looked back at Harry he knew that there was something about the caravan that had terrified him.

"Is it the space in there?" Steven asked curiously. Harry nodded, ashamed. He wrapped the blanket tighter around him, aware that he was almost naked underneath it. Steven crouched down in front of him and smiled sympathetically.

"I'm sorry," he said. "You've been asleep for the past two days and I didn't want to leave you alone back at Bone Point Road."

Harry nodded his understanding. He was embarrassed at how he had behaved and unsure of how to act now. He wished that he could speak, but despite the honey that had sustained him and soothed his throat, his voice was just no longer there.

"I finished making some clothes for you to wear," Steven continued after a slight pause. "I would say change in the caravan, but it won't be dangerous to change in the bushes, and I shall warn you if anyone is approaching. What would you prefer?"

Harry looked from the caravan to the bushes alongside the road and pointed to the bushes. There was little privacy, but it appeared that the bushes were thick enough to change behind without anyone peeping. Besides, the fact that his rags were gone signified that Steven had already seen him without anything on. Steven reached into the caravan and pulled out a bundle of clothes and passed them over. Harry took them and walked behind the bushes, changing as quickly as he could.

The pants were too big on him and he had to hold them up over his hips while the shirt was far too long. He could see where Steven had ripped and re-sewn the hem, and it looked like he had ripped his shirt in half lengthwise, removed one side and sewn up the other, making sure that the sleeves were still attached. The sleeves fell down past his hands, making it difficult to hold onto the pants, but he was grateful to the effort Steven went to.

When he appeared again Steven took one look at his appearance and pulled out a short dagger and motioned him over. Harry didn't move, looking at the dagger in fear. Steven saw his expression and put the dagger down apologetically.

"I'm sorry child, I forgot, I want to use the knife to cut the sleeves to a more suitable length and the pants so that you aren't stepping on them every time you walk," Steven explained. "Everyone carries a weapon around here without a thought, and I forgot about what you had been through. I apologise again."

Harry watched as the man rambled, clearly sorry about the carefree use of his dagger. He walked over slowly, making sure to lift his feet so that he didn't trip over the clothes, until he was standing exactly in front of the peddler. Steven stopped talking as he realised how close the boy had gotten and waited until Harry held one arm to cut the sleeve. When he picked up the dagger again Harry closed his eyes and tilted his head away so that he wouldn't have to see what was happening.

Steven spoke softly when it was time to swap arms, and then again when he was ready to cut at the pants. Harry kept his eyes closed the whole time and only when the dagger was away again did he open them. Steven then held out a belt to keep his pants up, which Harry used gratefully before standing back and looking down at his outfit. It wasn't a good fit, but Harry loved it. He had always preferred the looser clothing to the tight, form fitting clothes that some of his friends wore. The tighter clothing made him feel trapped, while the baggy clothes gave him more freedom of movement.

"I can't make shoes I'm afraid, we'll have to get my mother to sew something up for us," Steven stated. "Are you fine in bare feet for now?"

Harry nodded before looking around curiously. He looked back to Steven with his head on his side, trying to ask where they were.

"We are currently traveling along the road Deltora Way. Another week or so and we will be at my home," Steven replied with a grin. "It has been a while since Nevets and I have seen mother, and I'm sure that she will love you. Be prepared to be fed, stuffed and clothed for that is what my mother loves to do with small children, grown ups she is distrustful of…especially in times like these."

Harry crinkled his nose distastefully at the thought of being coddled, though he wouldn't mind eating whatever food his mother would prepare for him. Steven pulled out a bucket from the caravan and filled it with water for Mellow to drink. While she did that Steven pulled out some food and offered some to Harry, who took it gratefully. They rested like that for several minutes, before Steven started to pack everything away and lock the caravan. Swinging up to the top where he could manipulate the reins, Steven reached down to pull Harry up beside him. Harry was airborne for little more than two seconds before he was settled nicely and watching as the scenery drifted past them at a leisurely rate. He watched Steven sing and found himself smiling as he deciphered what was actually being sung.

A few days later, in the late afternoon they came across a fork in the road that pointed to Adin's Ride and Deltora Way. Adin's Ride looked particularly unsafe and its sign was hanging loosely. Steven mentioned that the road had been constructed in the time of Adin to make traveling easier between Jaliad and Rithmere. It was now seldom used as the vegetation had grown across the road and it was close to impossible to navigate through with a horse and cart. At the end of Adin's Ride was the Broad River, and the only way to cross it was via a ferry service that stopped running close to a century ago.

Steven naturally noted that there were no people to sell his wares to along that road, and was quite happy selling what he had to passing travelers. Harry was able to witness one such transaction later in the day when a group five men passed them by and bought some honey, blankets and rope. Shorty after that they stopped for the night with Steven promising that in the next few days they would reach the orchard where he had grown up.

* * *

Close to midday three days saw the small caravan and horse with a man and a boy atop it arrive at the largest orchard that Harry had ever seen. Trees bursting with apples covered what appeared to be a forest and the scent in the air made Harry's nose tingle pleasantly. Steven swung down from the caravan but motioned for Harry to remain where he was. The man led Mellow on foot to a gate with a large sign on it. Squinting his eyes Harry was able to read it. '_Queen Bee Cider, The Champion's Choice, Made from genuine tree-aged cider apples. NO ENTRY WITHOUT PERMISSION.'_

"Mother doesn't like visitors," Steven explained as they passed by the sign. Harry nodded having noticed the capital letters to warn people away. Already he was feeling unsure about meeting someone who seemed to disagree with visitors. Steven said nothing more than that and focused on leading the horse, cart and boy down the well trodden path up to a house in the midst of the trees.

Once the caravan stopped, Harry slid down to the ground and used Mellow as a support so that he could move up to where Steven was unhooking the harness attached to the horse. Once she was free Mellow strolled away from the two humans towards a small field complete with fence, water and available food.

"Is that my baby boys?"

Harry jumped at the unexpected voice bellowing across the road from the house and hid behind the large man so that he was out of sight. Steven chuckled and quietly warned Harry that he was about to yell. Harry covered his ears in time for Steven's answer to the woman standing at the door.

"Yes mother! Come down here! There's someone I want you to meet!"

Harry stared at Steven in horror. When he imagined meeting his mother, it wasn't anything like that. And the fact that the woman didn't seem to welcome anyone other than family, Harry almost felt like bolting.

The only reason he didn't was that he wasn't wearing shoes and could barely see more than a few feet in front of him.

The woman came down from her house to stand before Steven. Harry peeked out from his hiding place to watch her appear, and at first thought she was rolling towards them. The next second, as she got closer, he realised that she was a little plump woman wrapped and bundled in shawls. She had thin brown hair that was screwed up into a little topknot on her head. Her face showed that she had seen many good years, and much more sun as it was creased and crinkled all over, looking like a wizened old apple. Yet despite all that, she had warm, honey coloured eyes, much like Steven's, and she looked at him with such love and adoration that Harry felt safe to come a little ways out of hiding.

At the sight of him the woman stopped and stared first at him then at Steven. She looked him up and down, noticing the hastily made clothes and bare feet, the bandages around his neck and feet and the few traces of blood that still lingered on his skin.

"Mother, I found this young child on my route and brought him with me to be looked after. As you can see he is injured, and due to his injuries he has lost his voice, so I don't know his name."

The woman smiled invitingly at him, and her whole face transformed. For a moment Harry thought he was staring at Mrs. Weasley and tears sprung to his eyes. Hastily brushing them away, Harry missed when Steven stepped completely to the side, leaving open to the woman's greeting.

"Welcome to my orchard," she said with a hug. Harry stiffened in her embrace and waited until she had released him before stepping back and attempting to smile at her. She returned his smile and gestured to her home.

"Come inside with me and I'll get you some proper food and clothes," she said. "My sons never learnt to mend clothes properly, and I shudder to think that he's fed you what he calls food."

Harry followed her, looking back over his shoulder to see Steven pulling some bags from the caravan before following them. Harry looked back to the little old woman and followed her as she led him into the house and to the living room. To his embarrassment he walked into a small table that he couldn't see and for the rest of his journey he felt his way along the walls.

"Can't you see child?" the woman asked.

Harry raised his hand and made a 'sort of' motion. His could feel his face burning in embarrassment and looked down at his knee. He jumped slightly when he felt a small hand lift his chin up so that he was looking into the warm and concerned eyes of the woman, so similar to Steven's own.

"There is no need to be ashamed," she said softly. "I have something that may help with your eyesight, but it isn't a sure thing. Now, can you write? I have some charcoal and paper to write with and it can help us to communicate."

Harry nodded and watched as she left the room briefly, only to return with some paper and writing materials. He lifted the charcoal and squinted at it before posing it over the paper to write down the answer to whatever question she had for him.

"Do you have a name?" she asked.

They called me Freak he wrote after a pause of consideration. If I had one other than that I can't remember.

There was no way that he wanted to be called by his birth name any more. There was a chance that Voldemort might come looking for him and he didn't want the search to be too easy for him. If no one knows a Harry Potter then they would be safer.

"What monsters would call a child that?" the woman asked in horror as she read his answer. "We will definitely have to give you a new name. I'll think of something."

What's your name?

"My name? How rude of me," the woman replied, this time in shock. "You may call me Bee, everyone knows me as Queen Bee as my honey and apple cider is famous around Deltora. Now, how old are you?"

This gave Harry pause. A quick thought in his head of how long he had been prisoner and then from when he was captured gave him his age.

15

"You look so much younger," Bee exclaimed. "It must be from what those monsters did to you. How long were you with them?"

He said 4 months

"Four months? Oh, you poor dear. Oh that monster better hope he never meets me or mine, he'll be begging for death by the end. Did he take your voice from you?"

1 of his minions thought it would be funny

"They thought it would be funny to deprive someone of the right to speak? Why, I'm going to hunt them down and rip their tongues from their mouths and feed them to the gripper fields!"

Bee continued ranting about how she would teach the "monsters" to never harm children again. Harry merely watched in amazement and slight fear. What she was coming up with was fairly creative, even if he didn't know what gripper fields were and he doubted that the human body could do what she was suggesting she do to them…even with magic!

By the time she calmed down Steven was sitting next to Harry and watching his mother in shock. He leant down to whisper to Harry, and not attract the attention of the ranting woman.

"I've only seen her like this once before, and that was when the Grey Guards decided to steal some of her apples. They've never done so again, for good reason."

"Enough cheek from you Steven," Bee ordered. "Whatever I do would be nothing compared to what your brother would do as you well know!"

"Nevets is very protective of me and mother," Steven explained at Harry's enquiring look. "And I suspect that he shall become quite protective of you as well. Already he is wanting to hunt down the people that did this to you."

I wasn't attacked here

"Where then?" Steven asked curiously after reading the paper.

I called it the Island. There is no escape from it and I don't know how I got away alive. I fell from the window and was carried here by a sea creature. It left me at the Bone Point Lighthouse where I recovered some of my strength and learnt of this land.

"How?" Bee asked. "Bone Point Lighthouse hasn't shone for fifteen years. The Lighthouse Keeper disappeared and hasn't been seen since."

A spirit girl named Verity looked after me. She haunts the lighthouse and offered me shelter.

"Little Verity?" Steven asked. "I've heard little about what happened, but travelers' tales tell of a curse upon the Silver Sea. Fifteen years ago, around the time the Shadow Lord took complete control over Deltora, the sea rebelled against the land and the light went out. Many say that the Keeper was killed which was why the light faded to nothing, others say that his daughter, Verity, in her grief threw herself into the sea and it welcomed her with loving arms while attacking the land from where she came from. No one really knows what happened."

"I want to know about this Island," Bee stated. "You say you were rescued by a sea creature? All sea creatures upon Deltora's boarders are monsters that pray on ships and eat stranded sailors."

It was warm, was all Harry wrote.

Bee stood up and left the room, her round face red. Harry could recognise the anger on it and didn't know whether or not it was directed at him, but he still shrunk in on himself on the couch and put the charcoal down. Steven looked down at him in concern before slinging his arm across his shoulders, ignoring the tensing. When Bee returned she had a warm blanket in her arms and with the skill of a mother she wrapped it around the small boy.

"I'm going to make something to eat," she said kindly. "You stay here and get warm. Steven, go and get me some of the large opals in my store room, and Nevets, I want you to fix that hole in the roof. If it rains it's your bedroom that gets wet."

Steven grinned sheepishly before his form seemed to shimmer and standing in front of him was a giant of a man, even taller than Steven, with a wild gold mane of hair all over his body. He reminded Harry of a lion standing on its back legs but he knew that this was Nevets. Nevets had claws in the place of hands and he wasn't wearing any shoes.

"Child, this is my brother Nevets," Steven introduced. "We are always together, and what one of us does, so does the other. We need each other to survive."

Harry attempted to smile but imagined that it came out as a grimace. Nevets and Steven left the room together, while Bee went into where he suspected the kitchen was to start cooking. Left alone, Harry decided that he would close his eyes for a moment to rest them. He had given himself a headache trying to see without his glasses and hoped that whatever Bee had for him would work.

Before he knew it he was fast asleep.

**

* * *

**

I've decided to skip the whole AN part of the start and finish starting from this chapter. From the next chapter on all I will write is what is coming up in the next chapter.

Next up in Deltora's Protector:

**_Chapter 3 - Aiden and the Shadow Lord_**


	3. Aiden and the Shadow Lord

Deltora's Protector

Chapter 3 – Aiden and the Shadow Lord

* * *

The next few days were interesting to say the least. The opals Bee had suggested that he use to cure his eyes sight had worked wonders and he could see better than he had ever done in his life. To maintain his new sight he carried one of the opals around on a leather necklace around his neck. It was hidden by his new outfit, but he could feel its comforting weight. A side affect of the constant wearing of the opal was that he had begun to have strange dreams of people and places he had never seen before.

The most common dream was of a boy around his age, with dark hair and sky blue eyes. He wore a cloak that shimmered in the light and around his waist was a sword. There was much danger around him, but at the same time there was the sense of hope.

Harry never told Steven or Bee about his dreams, as they were much more pleasant than the nightmares that sometimes plagued his dreams.

The outfit he now wore was made by Bee from one of Steven's old clothes from when he was a child. His pants were three quarters and slightly baggy with dark brown knee patches that stood out against the slightly lighter brown fabric. His shirt hung down to the top of his thigh, a brownish-green colour, and around his waist, on top of his shirt, was a thick brown belt. His shirt had long sleeves which he often pushed up to his elbows where they felt the most comfortable. The jacket he wore when he went outside hung down to his knees and had various patches of the same colour as the rest of the jacket, light brown. The sleeves on that were rolled and tied up just above his elbows but he thought that it looked good on him. Around his neck he wore a red scarf, not only hiding his scar but also keeping him warm. Fingerless brown gloves adorned his hands and on his feet were brown boots that were just short enough that the end of his pants didn't touch them.

Steven, Nevets and Bee told him that he looked dashing.

The last change that happened to him was his new name. Bee had told him after he had woken that first day that they couldn't continue to call him Child, so he needed a proper name. She said she had heard the name in a dream and knew that it was his name.

Aiden.

Thusly named Aiden, the fifteen year old recovered as best as he was able to. When it was discovered that he couldn't swim, Steven had taken him out past the orchard to the Broad River and taught him. The fishes kept him up when he started to sink and after two weeks of constant practice, Aiden was able to swim like any other child his age.

Steven left after two weeks though, stating that he had neglected his duties, so he and Nevets left the orchard and left Aiden to assist Bee in the creation of the honey and cider. He didn't particularly like the cider, but the honey he loved. _Queen Bee Honey_, which was in high demand, became his job while he was staying with Bee. He collected the honey from the beehives and manipulated the thick, golden liquid into the containers and jars that were then sent out in crates to various locations. He added some extra ingredients into the honey to give it its taste, and Bee allowed him to after noticing his flair for cooking.

Two months after he had arrived at the orchard Aiden's dreams started to change. He saw a huge city in the middle of an empty plain with hundreds of rats running around without anyone controlling them, and in the centre of the city was a snake that rivaled the size of the basilisk back in the Chamber of Secrets. The entire city was like a nightmare, but Aiden knew that he needed to go there. There was something in the city that was calling to him, something that he needed to get. The empty plain clue had told Aiden that the place he needed to go was on the other side of the Broad River, where he could see a cluster of buildings far in the distance.

So one morning he left the orchard quietly. He grabbed a bag which he threw over his shoulder and dropped a few pieces of fruit, bread and honey into it so that he would have something to eat on his little trip. Leaving a note of the kitchen table so that Bee would know where he was and not worry, he left the house. He didn't really consider that she would be even more worried when she learnt where he was going to, as the fabled City of Rats was the source of children's nightmares.

But he didn't know this, as no one had told him, so he went on his own. The only creatures to see him go were the bees who had taken a liking to him, and the few birds that dared come near the protected apple trees.

Aiden swum the distance of the river, having come to realise he enjoyed swimming without the fear of drowning, and shook his clothes slightly as he exited the river on the other side. His clothes were drenched, but he knew that the walk ahead of him would dry them out easy enough.

The opal around his neck kept him feeling hopeful, instead of depressed and pessimistic. He could feel its slight power urging him onwards as the sun rose higher in the sky. Aiden pulled out an apple as the sun began its slow decent and munched on it happily. The city didn't appear to be any closer, but when he looked back at how far he had come, he could barely see the river at all, never mind the orchard on the other side of it. A faint stirring of unease began to appear in his mind, but he pushed on.

He stopped several times throughout the day to keep his strength up, ate some of the food he brought with him and drink the honey. The honey rejuvenated him and so after ten or so minute's rest he would stand and continue walking.

Even after the sun set he kept walking. His waking dreams were hinting at something he needed in the city before him, and he didn't want to have to stop to rest. He had had little sleep before in the past, and he was used to constant work, so he had no trouble maintaining his pace throughout the night.

Some time after the sun went down Aiden noticed the plain come alive. Rats of all sizes were charging out from their nests within the city and flying out along the plain to grab any food that had stumbled upon their domain. Aiden shivered at the thought of being eaten by rats, the one animal he hated more than any other, and remained stationary. The rats came closer and closer, until they were almost upon him. Aiden wished that they would go around him, and not touch him as they went by. His green eyes closed, Aiden missed what almost looked like a path being formed. The rats split in the middle and curved around his spot, running past as if there was something else that was more worthwhile of their time.

When Aiden failed to feel the first of the rats climb up his body, he opened his eyes to see what the rats were doing. His jaw dropped in amazement and cautiously took a step forward. The parting of the rats went back a step so that they were still at the same distance away. He took another, and then another, until he was satisfied that he wasn't going to be eaten.

He continued walking through the now moving plain of rats, using the faint light of the city as a guide, he walked all night. As the sun was coming up the rats started to retreat into the darkness of the nests and the sewers of the city. Aiden ate some more food that he had brought with him as he continued walking, his legs were fairly tired by now and his eyes were drooping. Figuring that he would be safe once the rats returned home, he allowed his legs to collapse under him so that he could lie on the ground. He maneuvered his bag under his head and his jacket so that it covered all of him, and he closed his eyes. He was asleep in seconds.

The bees from the orchard that had followed him the day before rested on the ground around him, keeping guard until he awoke. Aiden noticed them when he opened his eyes several hours later, and smiled at them in gratitude. A few rested upon his clothes as he stood, but otherwise they returned to the air to follow him at their own pace.

They continued with this pattern for the next two days until Aiden and the bees finally arrived at the city. The bees flew off to wait for him, refusing to go into the city, and Aiden entered alone.

There were a few rats that ran around him as if he didn't exist, but they didn't touch him, and the shadows caused by the setting sun created eerie pockets of darkness. Aiden didn't pause in his steps, he continued on, drawn by the power of the opal around his neck. Images flashed briefly before his mind's eye, indicating which path he was to take through the rat infested city. The sun was completely down by the time he reached the centre of the city. Only the very peak of the tower revealed the light from the sun before that too was extinguished.

Aiden walked into the building, his heart beating wildly against his chest from fear and anticipation. The darkness was complete within the building with only a very few select pinpricks of light coming from the few candles that rested in various alcoves and from the stars that could be spotted through the holes in the roof. But Aiden continued on.

In the centre of the building, where there was no light, Aiden stopped.

"_Hello there?_" Aiden cried out into the darkness, not in his normal voice but in the language of the serpents. His throat was slightly irritated after speaking, but Aiden didn't mind as he never believed that he would be able to so much as utter another sound as long as he lived.

"_A Speaker, your kind hasn't been seen here for a great many centuries._"

Aiden tried to see into the darkness, to see the snake he was speaking to, but the effort was hopeless.

"_Why have you come here Speaker?_" the snake asked.

"_I was summoned here,_" Aiden replied. "_My dreams have been filled with this city and something here is calling out to me._"

"_I am aware of this,_" the snake hissed. "_My sight has been filled with your approach for several days now. I know what it is you seek, but you should know that what it is has no power._"

"_I know not what I am searching for Great Serpent,_" Aiden stated. "_But I know that I must have it. Where might I find it?_"

"_That you must find on your own,_" was the answer. "_Centuries ago, when I was still a hatchling, a man came before me and spoke to me in my own language. He gave into my care a trinket of great power. That power has faded greatly over the years until it died completely when this opal came into my domain._"

From the darkness a light appeared, glowing near the roof. Aiden could see that it was an opal, much larger than the one he wore around his neck. He knew without being told that before him was one of the seven gems from the Belt of Deltora. He could feel his innate magic thrum in his body pleasantly as the power washed over him.

"_My master, the Shadow Lord, knows nothing of the second treasure entrusted to me. He does not speak my language, and it is only through my willingness to serve him that I guard this for him._"

"_The trinket given to you centuries ago,_" Aiden began. "_Where is it now?_"

"_I was told when it was left to me, a snake speaker would return to claim it. I have waited many years for one such as you. If you are destined to have it, you will find it on your own._"

"_Thank you, Great Serpent,_" Aiden stated with a bow. He walked forward, the only light coming from the opal above his head. His hands grasped the opal he wore around his neck and followed its slight pull to the pillar in the centre of the room. His hands pressed against the rock and light burst forth from the centre of the pillar. The sudden brightness caused tears to spring to his eyes but even without the light he would have been able to feel a small object land in his hands.

While the spots faded from his vision, Aiden used his sense of touch to discover what he had in his grasp. There were seven stones held together by a fine chain, yet the length of the chain wouldn't have allowed it to stretch any further than around his wrist. Using his left hand he manipulated the chain so that it wrapped around his right wrist and once it was settled it magically clicked together.

Once it was connected together, Aiden felt something he hadn't felt since the first time he held his wand in Ollivanders when he was eleven. His magic, already tingling from being as close to the opal talisman, rushed through him and lit up the room he was in. He looked up to where the opal had been and directly into the red eyes of a serpent several feet larger than the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets had been. He bowed from the waist and looked down at what was now a conduct for his casting of spells.

"_Such power from one as small as yourself,_" the snake hissed into the silence. "_I have not felt anything like it for many long years. What are you called?_"

"_They call me Aiden, Great Serpent,_" Aiden replied. "_Do you, perchance, also have a name?_"

"_The humans who lived here before I took over called me Beast,_" the snake declared. "_You, however, may call me by my true name, Reeah._"

Aiden smiled up happily at Reeah before he returned to studying his wrist. The bracelet, for that is what it was, had a chain of fine silver intricately woven around the seven black gems. Each gem was about the size of his thumb nail and oval shaped. There appeared to be no end to the chain, and no way to take it off.

"_It feels different to how it should_," Aiden muttered out loud. "_Like it's not complete._"

"_The gems on the bracelet are attached to the power of the Belt of Deltora, and ever since the Belt was destroyed they have never been the same,_" Reeah explained. "_The colour is different from how I last saw it too._"

"_How are they different?_" Aiden asked curiously, looking up from his inspection.

"_The Speaker before showed me a bracelet of seven different coloured gems before he hid it in the column. I have not seen it since then._"

Aiden frowned at that thought. To him, it seemed like the true power of the bracelet was linked to the Belt of Deltora. It still had power on its own, but Aiden knew that its true power was locked within the darkened gems. He moved the bracelet so that it was sitting just under his right glove, invisible to everyone else. He didn't want any strange questions about what is was or where he had gotten it.

"_Young Aiden,_" Reeah started after several moments of silence. "_While my master knew nothing of the bracelet, I still serve him. Do not return to this place as I will follow through on his orders and kill all who enter my home._"

"_I understand,_" Aiden said with a nod. "_I shall take my leave now._"

"_So long, Aiden of Deltora,_" came the parting words. "_I expect we will see much good from you. Good luck._"

Aiden didn't reply, he continued moving away and out from the building. He wouldn't be returning to the City of the Rats any time soon.

* * *

"You're alive!" Bee exclaimed upon seeing him several days later. Her usually red face was almost white as she looked at his wet clothes and then back at the empty plain where he had come from. Aiden nodded and tilted his head to the side in curiosity. He looked back where he had come from and saw nothing alarming, aside from the swarm of rats that left him alone. The bees from the orchard settled on his body, their _buzz_ a comforting him in his ears.

"What in Deltora possessed you to run off like that? Do you have any idea how worried I was about you? You're lucky that Steven and Nevets aren't here as they would have probably torn this place a part looking for you."

Aiden let his head drop as the reprimanding words washed over him. Parental care was new to him and he had no idea how to react to it. The fact was that he was an independent person thanks to the "care" of the Dursleys. He wasn't used to having anyone worry parentally over him.

"When was the last time you ate?" Bee then asked. Aiden's head lifted up to see a completely different expression on the woman's face. His bag had been empty for two days, and he hadn't had water for just over a day, but his dip in the Broad River had left him feeling better than he had since first entering the plain. Under his glove was the bracelet, and he planned on showing it to those who only needed to know, but he gathered that he needed to show it to Bee so that she could understand what and why he had done it.

"Come inside child," Bee ordered. "You are going to eat whatever I put in front of you and then you are going to go to bed as I know you wouldn't have slept properly on the entire adventure of yours."

Aiden ducked his head again and walked inside the house. The bees left his clothes and returned to where they normally went in the orchard. Aiden waited in the kitchen for something to do, but upon spotting him Bee ushered him to the table where he sat down gratefully. Bee placed a full plate of meat and vegetables in front of him with an expression that said "you had better eat all of that or else".

The boy's eyes went wide but he gave eating his best shot. He figured that what was before him was something that Ron would eat easily, but he would only be able to eat maybe half of it. This was proved when his eyes began to droop and the arm him head was propped up on became his pillow. When Bee came to check upon him a few minutes later she found him fast asleep with his fork resting in his food. Shaking her head with a fond smile, Bee took the plate away and manipulated Aiden to a semiconscious state where she could direct him to his room without carrying him.

* * *

It was close to a week before Aiden was allowed to leave Bee's sight for longer than a few minutes. In that time Steven had returned and been regaled with the tale of Aiden's adventure to the City of the Rats. He had not been impressed in the slightest and had suggested that Aiden's behaviour was indicative of a feeling of restlessness. The result of that was that Aiden was allowed to leave the orchard and join Steven on his rounds and to learn of the dangers of the land.

Aiden was excited, not that he was ungrateful to Bee, but he couldn't see himself spending the rest of his life making honey and cider. His dreams also seemed to agree with him as several images would flash past his mind's eye, not long enough for any detail but with enough clarity to know that his destiny was something far greater than an orchard keeper.

In the end he hadn't shown Bee his bracelet, choosing instead to keep it hidden. Eventually he would start to show people but for now it would be his little secret. The less people who knew about it the less chance there was for the Shadow Lord to discover him.

The day he was to leave Aiden was treated to a large breakfast and given a large backpack full of "proper food", spare clothes and other necessities that Bee believed he would need while he was out of his sight. He was also given a small dagger that he could stick into his belt and use to defend himself when it was needed. Steven had promised him that during their trip he would teach him how to use it properly, and in the future they would get him a sword once he was comfortable with the idea of carrying a weapon.

"Now, you behave yourself," Bee told him tearfully. "Don't run off on Steven and make sure that he knows where you are at all times. If you get lost you wait for him to find you. Steven, Nevets, you take care of my Aiden now, you hear me? I want all three of you to return to me safe and sound. No excuses."

"Yes mother," Steven replied with a smile. "We'll see you again in a few months."

Aiden smiled at her reassuringly and walked forward to hug her briefly. She was in tears when he let her go and allowed the bees to have their farewell. Aiden laughed silently as he felt the bees settle on his clothes and bare skin. He gently shook them off and scurried over to stand beside his "older brothers". Nevets was interesting to be around, and while the wild man didn't speak often, he always managed to put a smile on Aiden's face and Aiden always felt protected and safe around him.

"Good bye mother!" Steven cried, and Aiden could faintly here Nevets in his voice. He smiled himself and waved behind him and bounced excitedly as the caravan started to move. The buzz of bees followed them as they left the gates of the orchard. Aiden, while apprehensive of what lay beyond the gates, knew that it was his destiny to go out to meet it. His distant future lay with his friends back in England, but for now he needed to do his part in this land. Deltora was now his home…and he had to protect it.

* * *

That night Aiden dreamed of a man, a boy and a wild girl. It was the first clear dream he had had since receiving the bracelet. He sensed that the boy was important in the future of Deltora but didn't know how. He had seen him before in previous dreams, but never as clear as that night. The man was more than likely a guard of some description as his behaviour in the dream indicated that he was very protective of the two younger children with him. The girl was strange, but there was the sense of freedom about her that Aiden envied. It was like she didn't care what others thought of her and did whatever she pleased.

When Aiden awoke he knew that he needed to keep an eye out for them.

The next few weeks Aiden and Steven and Nevets sold their stores to passing travelers and when there was no one on the road Steven and Aiden came up with a new method of communication. Aiden would use his hands to talk, much like he had seen deaf people communicate back in England. He didn't know how they spoke, so together he and Steven came up with new meanings for various hand positions. They had a great laugh memorizing and determining what position meant what.

One day Aiden asked about the Shadow Lord.

"Not much is known about the Shadow Lord," Steven explained as they were eating lunch. "No one knows where he comes from, but there are rumours about his beginning. He isn't a native to Deltora, that's for sure, and no one knows his original name. There is a tale, one of the _Tenna Birdsong Tales_ that the Jalad were famous for. I'm not much of story teller but I will do my best.

' _One dark night, a great storm raged on the wild west coast of the Land of Dragons, but the people of the that territory went to their beds without fear. They were far away from the furious sea, safe and warm in their strong white city built by magic. They slept peacefully, knowing that the great amethyst of that was their talisman protected them from harm._

_So only the fish and the birds of the shore heard the crash as a boat with a broken mast and a tattered grey sail marked in red was blown onto the treacherous finger of rock that stretched deep into the silver sea._

_The people slept on as that boat splintered in the waves. They slept on as its sail was torn to rags by the wind. The people slept as the rain ceased, and the moon sailed out from behind the clouds._

_But when a drenched, cloaked figure crawled out of the sea and sprawled half-dead upon the shore, a shiver ran through the white city, and the people woke. The storm had passed, but a shadow had fallen on their land, and they knew it was far more dangerous than any storm._

_As one they rose from their beds and moved to the centre of the city where the great amethyst lay on its table of stone. They stood together, every man, woman and child. And their minds met._

_Far away, the sodden figure on the shore, groaned and flinched. Rage mingled with fear and shock as he felt the banishing spell take hold of him, felt his limbs begin to tremble and his heart go cold. Someone wanted him gone. Someone was daring to defy his will._

_He was a mighty sorcerer, but he had been sadly weakened. The banishing spell was strong. He knew that he could not resist it for long. He refused to be driven back to the sea, which had stolen his magic staff and almost taken his life. He closed his eyes, summoned all that remained of his strength and took himself from the place of torment, took himself north, instinctively knowing which way to go._

_When he opened his eyes he was in a rocky place, and mountains towered above him. The agony of the banishing spell had not merely weakened, but had gone – gone as if it had never been – for the people of the marble city were satisfied. The shadow had lifted from their territory. Where it went after that was no concern of theirs._

_The sorcerer straightened his shoulders, and smiled. He turned to survey the land that he would make his own._

_And crouched before him was a dragon, vast and terrible. Its green scales glittered in the moonlight. Its eyes were like great, flat emeralds, and steam drifted from its dripping jaws. The sorcerer felt its power, and knew that he could not destroy it._

_So he tried to bargain with it. He offered it all the treasure his dark magic could provide if only it would serve him._

_The green dragon's eyes narrowed. 'Dragons are servants to no man, sorcerer,' it hissed. 'We are servants of the land. And the land has no use for you. Begone!'_

_It breathed fire, and the rocks sizzled. The sorcerer felt the heat sear his flesh, and his robes began to smoke. He removed himself from the dragon's sight, retreating deep into the mountains._

_The dragon did not follow him. And so the sorcerer learned that the depths of the mountains were not dragon territory, and that there he was safe._

_In a dank cave he rested, and grew stronger. The foul things that skulked amid the rocks were no threat to him. they fawned upon him, drawn to his dark power._

_The sorcerer was safe, but he was content. Rage burned within him. he left he cave and prowled the mountains from one end to the other, waiting his chance to swoop down upon the land. On the way he met more foul creatures, and also men and women – the ragged groups of bandits and killers who haunted the mountain deeps._

_Rejoicing in his wickedness, these desperate souls gathered around him and followed him, willing him to triumph. The sorcerer despised them, but he took them and used them for his purposes. They told him everything they knew of the land they hated and the people they preyed upon. They showed him all the secret ways that led down through the mountains into the Land of Dragons._

_But their secrets were no secrets to the protectors of the land. Every way the sorcerer tried was guarded by dragons, and no dragon would let him pass._

_In fury he turned away from the Land of Dragons, telling himself that he must wait. He ordered his followers to lead him through the mountains to the other side. The land there would be his first domain. His followers whimpered, but he snarled and burned their minds until they did his will. So they led him to a place where he could see the beautiful green land that lay to the mountains' north._

_Then the sorcerer found that this land, too, was barred to him. No dragons guarded its borders, but the very air was magic, and morning, noon and night there came a sound that repelled him, and pierced him to the bone. _

_Now his fury and hatred were so great that his heart was burning like a coal in his chest._

_He swore to own the lands which had defied him. he swore to own them, every stick and stone. He swore to tear out their hearts. He swore to crush their people under his heel, and force them to call him master._

_Raging, he returned to his den in the west, and his followers stumbled after him, for by now they were slaves to his will, and were his creatures, body and soul._

_For years they served him as they plunged deeper into dark magic, as he gathered knowledge of his prey and made his plans. He made them crawl before him, and treated them like beasts, but none of them dared leave him. they kept company with vile monsters of the rocks, living only to do their master's bidding. And they watched in terror as his power grew.'_

It is said that he only has one true enemy, and that is who he was fleeing from when he washed upon the western shores. I think that he needed to feel superior to others so he came to us where he believed that there was no resistance. We were, and still are, simple folk. I'm aware that the world beyond our island has moved on, but we're happy where we are."

His audience was in awe of his story. He asked Steven where he had heard the story before.

"I met a Jalad several years ago who lived to tell stories," Steven said with a smile. "He was a fabulous story teller and I did my best to remember the exact way he told it. That particular story he called _The Tale of the Sorcerer_. There are several others, but that one is one of the more prominent ones in my mind. I've always wondered that if Deltora wasn't as cruel as they had been, we might have had a different history. Hatred and evil will breed hatred and evil, did we create this evil that now plagues us? By the time any of us realised that this evil was inevitable, it was too late."

Aiden asked if anyone had ever left Deltora's shores.

"Some do," Steven admitted. "They never return though, I don't think that they survive though. From what I can gather the world is very different out there, few of us would be able to adapt to it. No one has left since the Shadow Lord took control fifteen years ago, he wouldn't let them. We had waited too long. His creatures control the oceans, and that's one of the reasons why I find it hard to believe that you were rescued by an animal. They kill all who cross their path, and those that don't, well, they don't last long surrounded by predators of the ocean variety."

Aiden turned his attention to the forgotten mug of honey in front of him. The story of the Shadow Lord in his early years was strange. The brief mention of a magic staff was telling, as powerful wizards had used staffs to control the flow of their magic until they discovered ways to make the staff smaller and more powerful. That was when wands had started to become popular and altered so that anyone with even a hint of magic would be able to use it.

He also knew that Voldemort had been raised in an orphanage, and as a half-blood in Slytherin, even one with Salazar Slytherin as a decedent, his life wouldn't have been pleasant. It made him wonder, that if prejudice and hatred hadn't existed, or if people had been a little more open-minded and welcoming, then maybe the Dark Lord Voldemort wouldn't have come into creation.

"Come on Aiden," Steven stated suddenly. "It's time to get a move on. I want to reach the Broad River Bridge by nightfall. There are usually some good camping spots there."

Aiden nodded and lifted himself off the ground. Quickly dumping what he had used in the correct box, he climbed up to where he sat at the front of the caravan. His bare feet swung slightly as he waited for Steven to lock the van and step up to his spot. He hadn't worn shoes since he started driving around with Steven, preferring to leave them in the caravan. He had grown up with Dursleys rarely wearing footwear, as all of Dudley's things had been way to big for him. He wore them for school but that was the extent of his footwear use.

"On to the Broad River Bridge little brother!" Steven stated jovially. Aiden smiled at his exuberance and silently sung along to Steven's songs.

"_Once there was an Ol-io,_

_Jolly-wolly Ol-io,_

_Once there was an Ol-io,_

_Fearsome as could be!_"

_I said to that Ol-io,_

_Jolly-wolly Ol-io,_

_I said to that Ol-io,_

_You don't bother me!_"

_Colly-wobble Ol-io,_

_Jolly-wobble Ol-io,_

_Colly-wobble Ol-io,_

_You don't bother me!_"

**

* * *

**

Next up in Deltora's Protector:

_Chapter 4 - Grey Guards and Raladin_


	4. Grey Guards and Raladin

Deltora's Protector

Chapter 4 – Grey Guards and Raladin

* * *

There was nothing spectacular about the Broad River Bridge. With mountains to the left of the road creating a boarder from Deltora and the Shadow Lands, the little bridge looked impossibly small. Wooden planks rose from the ground on one side before descending on the other. Open fields lay to the right, areas great for camping and lighting fires, and the water looked so clear that Aiden assumed that it would be safe to drink.

The only thing that was wrong with what normally be a safe picture, was the battalion of Grey Guards already camped out in front of the bridge.

Steven plastered a fake smile on his face and slowed his caravan down. With the sun setting it wasn't safe for them to continue on, they had to stop for the night, but Aiden believed that it wouldn't be safe for them to stop either. He looked at Steven in question and with slight worry.

"Stay on the caravan," Steven ordered in a whisper without moving his lips. "I'm going to talk to the guards."

Aiden nodded and remained perched in his place once the caravan stopped. Steven stepped down and walked towards the Grey Guards with a wide smile on his face. He started to flatter them and promised them a discount on his stores if they would be allowed to camp slightly downstream from them. Aiden swung his feet gently, his green eyes taking in everything at once.

All up there were eight guards. Four appeared to be completely relaxed as they were sprawled on the ground, fire in front of them and leisurely eating what food they had with them. Another two were closer to the river, they had stood when the caravan had come into view, but at the offer of discounted ale their expressions had become greedy and cruel. The final two were on the bridge, and they weren't staring at Steven at all. Their attention was focused on Aiden and their whispers to each other were far too soft for Aiden to make out. He shivered at their stares and stopped the movement of his feet. A quick flick of his eyes told him that Steven had his back to the guards on the bridge and couldn't see them coming closer.

Mellow pawed the ground nervously so Aiden scurried to stand by her side. His small stature only brought him to the horse's shoulder, yet it also hid him from Steven's sight should he turn around. The Grey Guards smirked as they, too, realised this. Aiden gripped Mellow's harness tightly but refused to back down from the approaching danger.

Mellow reared up slightly and neighed loudly to attract Steven's attention. The man turned around and took in several things. First, Aiden wasn't sitting on the caravan; two, Mellow wasn't a horse that was easily agitated; and thirdly, there were two Grey Guards approaching his horse with a malicious look on their faces.

"Aiden?" he called out in concern and fear. Aiden moved forward so that he was in front of Mellow and so that Steven could see him. He didn't smile to his brother, nor did he get one in return, instead, the Grey Guards decided that they would act.

"What luck we've had toady boys!" one of the guards stated. The six others behind Steven voiced their agreements and moved closer so that Steven, Aiden and the caravan were blocked from getting away. The second guard from the bridge darted forward quickly and snagged Aiden's jacket as he tried to move away. Aiden struggled silently but the strength of the Grey Guards was more than he was used to, he was almost completely useless against them.

"Let him go," Steven ordered coldly. Aiden looked over at him and saw his eyes flash a brilliant gold. He shivered involuntarily as he knew that it was Nevets causing the flash. The guard holding him laughed and gripped his arm tighter. Aiden gave a silent scream as he felt the bone bend in a way that it shouldn't.

"Or what?" the guard asked. Steven then smiled. His form blurred as Nevets appeared with a vicious howl. The guard stumbled backwards in surprise, dragging Aiden with him. He didn't stop until he was at the bridge, but by then his teammates had already been attacked, thrown aside or killed by Nevets and Steven. Aiden looked down into the quickly moving water and then back at where Steven was staring at him. He gave a slight wave and then signaled with his hands that he'd see him again.

"Aiden!" Steven screamed in distress. Aiden smiled and directed his free arm at the wall of the bridge, ensuring that his back was facing the Grey Guard. From the power of the bracelet hidden on his wrist he created a powerful concussive force that sent him careening back into the shell-shocked guard, over the bridge wall and into the cold water rushing below them.

To Aiden, it was like escaping from the Island all over again. Except this time, instead of the arms of a dead person around him, he had the arms of an angry Grey Guard securing him against his body, and stopping him from swimming to the surface. Aiden struggled with all his might. His plan had been to knock himself and the guard into the Broad River, escape from his grip, swim to the surface and return to Steven's side. That plan went out the window when he realised that the guard had no intention of letting him go.

Aiden maneuvered his hand so that it was pressed against the Grey Guard's arm. Using the power of the bracelet again, he burnt the flesh of the guard as best as he was able to in the freezing cold water. A burst of bubbles behind him alerted him to the fact that the guard was screaming. When the arm holding him loosened, Aiden broke free and shot up to the surface where he gulped down as much air as he could.

He was moving quickly down the river so he directed the flow of his body so that it reached the bank. There he lay for several minutes to regain his breath and take stock of what new injuries he had acquired. His arm didn't feel broken, just bruised and sore, but other than that all he had were some small cuts and bruises from his fall and journey down the Broad River. He also noticed that he couldn't hear Steven calling his name, like he expected to.

With this curiosity in mind he sat up and looked in the direction he had come from. He couldn't even see the bridge from where he was, he had either miscalculated the amount of effort needed to propel both himself and the guard off the bridge or the current was much faster than it looked. He figured, eventually, that it was a combination of both. His next thought of concern was where the Grey Guard had ended up.

His green eyes panned across the river in search of his assailant but it wasn't his eyes that spotted him first…it was his ears.

The heavy pounding of feet on the ground had Aiden standing up in one swift motion and running back into the foliage behind him. He heard a curse behind him and the footsteps altered the direction they were travelling. Aiden ran faster, grateful that despite how cruel the Dursleys had been to him, they had at least taught him the benefit of being fast and agile. He put all of his training into practice as he did his best to avoid the Grey Guard that was quickly gaining on him.

"Get back here you little maggot!" the guard called angrily. "You will pay for what you've done!"

Aiden had no idea what he was talking about but figured that it had something to do with the incident on the bridge. It could have been the fact that he threw them both into the river without any warning, but Aiden knew the tone that was being used…_once I catch you I'm going to kill you._

There was one thing that Aiden didn't know about the Grey Guards though…they were machines when it came to hunting and killing. They didn't tire as a human might, they could run for days without food or drink, though the more food they consumed had the more energy they would have. They didn't feel pain as any other living creature in Deltora, and had virtually no weaknesses. They were created, not born, in barrels in the Shadow Lands and once they reached their expiry date they were discarded and their replacements were taken from the barrels and sent into Deltora to wreck havoc in the name of the Shadow Lord. They Grey Guards could be killed, not easily, but like any living creature they couldn't survive long without their heads.

Unfortunately for Aiden, this meant that his pursuer could continue at the set pace for a good many hours and due to their heightened sense of smell, would be able to sniff him out even if he were to hide.

The two ran east through various bushes, trees and shrubs, Aiden always that one step ahead of capture and the Grey Guard getting angrier and angrier the long they ran for. Aiden was panting heavily, having not needed to run for his life for many months, and his body had adjusted to the almost quite lifestyle he had been living in Deltora. Adrenaline rushed through his veins and was the only thing keeping him moving, that and the fear that if he was caught it wouldn't be a peaceful death that awaited him.

"Gotcha!" the guard stated suddenly and Aiden felt large, strong hands grasp his ankles moments before he fell face first onto the ground. Winded and finding it hard to breathe, Aiden was rolled over so that he could see the guard's face. It was red with anger and hate, spit fell from his mouth but the feral grin that was adorned on his face was terrifying.

Aiden tried to escape, to struggle against the hold he was under, but it was futile. There was no escape. The Grey Guard laughed and hauled the small boy from the ground and over his shoulder. The guard continued east, walking now instead of running, muttering about various torture instruments that he could use or make to keep him entertained. Aiden listened in growing horror, even as he tried even harder to escape, as the guard switched to talking about what parts of the human body were tastier. The cold laughter was soon the only sound that could be heard through the wild land around them.

* * *

Days past.

Aiden was weak from hunger, and he knew that the guard was growing hungry, but he still hadn't taken a bite of the boy he carried. Tortured, yes, Aiden was bleeding from several areas of his body, and he couldn't see from one eye as it was swollen shut. There were more bruises around his middle from where he had been lodged on the guard's shoulder during the day, and his wrists and ankles had been tied together to prevent escape. He could barely move his fingers due the tightness of the rope, and he doubted that he'd be able to stand on his own never mind run away.

On the fifth day after his capture, Aiden found himself near the dreaded Lake of Tears. He had heard little about it, as Bee, Steven, Nevets and Verity hadn't seen the benefits of telling him about the dangers, least he go looking for them like the City of the Rats. What little he knew about the Lake of Tears came from the Grey Guard, who took great delight in telling him about what fate awaited him.

The Lake was guarded by a monster of terrible size. It ate whatever it could find and it guarded the Lake with a fury. In the centre of the Lake was a rock that looked like a woman crying, and no one had ever been able to get that far across the Lake before they were swallowed by the monster Soldeen. The Lake of Tears was once known as D'Or, a beautiful place that was like a garden all year round. There was always singing and dancing, until the sorceress Thaegen cast her spells and D'Or became a wasteland, known as the Lake of Tears.

The Grey Guard dumped him on the ground roughly and stalked forward so that he was standing on the edge of the lake. Aiden felt strange being there, his bracelet was warm where it was hidden beneath his glove, just as it had been in the City of the Rats. He figured that one of the Deltoran Gems was in the Lake, and his curiosity had him contemplating what gem it was.

"Soldeen! I bring you something to eat!" the Grey Guard suddenly screamed into the silence. "I imagine you long for the taste of human flesh!"

Aiden shivered before staring in horror at what was happening to the guard. Pale little worms were crawling out from the ground slowly, climbing up his legs and slowly reddening. Aiden realised quickly that the little worms were leeches and they were sucking the blood out of the unaware guard who had stumbled into their territory. The ripples in the lake became more pronounced and Aiden quickly looked around himself to see if there were any leeches eating him. Luckily for him it appeared that he had been dumped just out of the leeches' territory and as such was untouched. His gaze darted back to the lake in time to see a mighty monster erupt from the water with a cry.

Soldeen, for Aiden couldn't imagine it being anyone else, stared at the Grey Guard with piercing red eyes. The eyes briefly took in Aiden lying bound on the ground before retuning to the leech covered guard. The guard also looked back at Aiden, except he smiled in violent anticipation. Aiden was unable to close his eyes, despite knowing what was coming.

"You willing give yourself to me and my brethren?" Soldeen said softly. The guard's eyes flicked back to the lake in denial while Aiden's eyes widened in surprise that Soldeen spoke English, Reeah had only spoken parseltongue, but that may have been because Aiden could only speak the language of serpents.

"No!" the guard snapped. "As if I'd give you one such as I? No, I have found a human boy for you to snack on. He won't run, but he should be a nice morsel to eat before your main meal."

"Yet it is you who feeds my brethren even now, and not the boy," Soldeen replied. Aiden imagined that the aquatic creature was smiling; his teeth were certainly displayed in a manner that many would take for threatening. The Grey Guard looked down in confusion before screaming at the top of his lungs and trying to get rid of the leeches on his legs. All he seemed to do was allow the leeches to gain purchase to his hands.

Aiden stared in horror as Soldeen reared up, mouth wide open, before crashing back down onto the ground, and capturing the guard in its jaws. The guard's scream was cut off instantly and it was like a blanket of silence had fallen across the lake. Soldeen still sat within sight, but appeared to be otherwise occupied with his food. Aiden sat up as best as he could and stared at his bindings. There was no way that he would be able to escape from them and the Lake of Tears before Soldeen was ready to eat him as well.

"Who are you human?" Soldeen asked suddenly. Aiden jumped slightly and stared up into the eyes of the guardian of the Lake of Tears. He had slithered closer when he wasn't looking, and as such Aiden was surprised to find him that close. Aiden reached up and pointed to his neck before pressing his lips closed as tight as he could.

"You cannot speak?" Soldeen asked. Aiden nodded confirmation. "Even to us guardians, it is considered horrendous to harm a child, regardless of their place of birth. The one I just ate, was he the one who harmed you?"

Aiden made a "sort of" motion with his bound hands and pointed to what injuries he could feel more than the others. His neck, when he pointed to it again, he shook his head indicating that someone else had done that.

"His fate was deserved then," Soldeen stated. "You are a curious child. Why would the Shadow Lord's minions hunt you?"

Aiden shrugged his shoulders. He couldn't answer that one even if he wanted to. In fact, he didn't even know if he was being hunted by the Shadow Lord, he thought it was just bad luck that he and Steven had come across the Grey Guards at the bridge. He hoped so anyway. Soldeen leaned forward again, so close that he was actually touching Aiden's skin. His sharp teeth were close to cutting into the boy's arms, but before any damage could be done Soldeen retreated and made some strange sounds that echoed across the lake.

After a moment of silence, in which the echo faded in, various small creatures crept from their hiding places and to the shore. Leeches, ants, spiders, insects and even an old raven came closer to Aiden until they were sitting on his bonds.

"My brethren will remove those bonds from you," Soldeen explained. "You must then leave here as quickly as you can; it is not safe for you here."

Aiden nodded his understanding and looked around curiously. He had no idea where he would go, but he figured that if he went back the way he had come he would eventually find where Steven was. He would try to do that as soon as he was sure that he could walk without falling flat on his face.

"The raven will lead you to safety," Soldeen stated suddenly as the last of the bonds fell away. The little creatures scurried back to their homes, all except for the raven that remained perched on his knee. Aiden smiled at the raven and then up at Soldeen as well. He pushed himself up off the ground and swayed on his feet as the blood rushed back to his legs and arms. He was only able to remain standing for a minute before his legs started to cramp and he had to sit back down to assist with the circulation. He squeezed his eyes shut as the pain erupted from his legs but slowly his expression softened as his blood circulation returned to normal. The raven waited patiently for him to stand again, and once he was vertical and steady on his feet, it flew off, circled back around him and then off again. Aiden knew that the bird wanted him to follow, so with a slight smile he began to slowly walk away from the lake, the only thing showing his presence was the cut ropes which lay where they had fallen.

Aiden followed the raven all night, not stopping once no matter how sore his injuries became or how much longer his eyes would droop from fatigue. It was only after the sun had begun to rise that Aiden finally conceded defeat and collapsed to the ground. The raven settled upon a rock outcropping near where he had fallen in order to stand guard until he woke up. That raven sat there for the rest of the day and the following night watching Aiden. It wasn't until midday that Aiden began to stir, and the most he was able to do was roll over so that he was on his back. He stared at the sky with uncomprehending eyes before sitting up. The raven drifted from the rock to his knee and chirped at him. Aiden nodded and stood up, allowing the raven to fly on ahead in the direction he was supposed to be going.

This continued for another two days. The only time they stopped was when there was food available to eat, water in various puddles to drink, and when they had to stop for rest. On the evening of the second day the raven settled down upon a tree branch and indicated the opening before them. Aiden thanked the bird before walking forward on his own.

The trees parted to reveal a little village…a deserted and empty village but still one with houses and places to rest and recover. Aiden wondered about what had happened to the former inhabitants, but put it out of his mind when his wounds pulsed angrily at being ignored for the past few days. He walked over to the fountain in the middle of what appeared to be the village square and collapsed against it. He would find somewhere to rest properly when he had enough energy to get inside one of the houses.

* * *

Aiden was strangely comfortable when he woke up. He was resting on something soft and covered by something warm. There was a cold cloth of some kind resting on his head but it felt nice to his warm body. Opening his eyes Aiden tried to figure out where he was. No Grey Guard would have taken the effort to keep him warm and comfortable, and Steven would have woken him if he'd found him. He moved his head to the side and saw a group of three short people drawing. They weren't making any noise. Aiden noted that they all had blue skin with red hair. He tried to remember if anyone had told him about them, but he couldn't recall anything.

One of the drawers turned around to check on him and jumped when it was noticed that Aiden's eyes were open. Aiden guessed that the one coming towards him was a girl, and that the other two were male. The girl moved the cloth on his head to feel his temperature and then nodded in satisfaction. She smiled down at him and made several hand motions to show that she was going to move the blankets down. Aiden nodded and didn't move as she worked. She checked over all of his healing injuries without making a sound, just a small smile on her face. The other two approached once she was done and sat at the edge of the bed with some charcoal and paper.

Aiden, with the help of the girl, sat up and waited for the other two to talk. The older of the two drew something on the paper before him and turned it around so that he could read it. Aiden stared at it blankly. There were a group of small drawings in a line, obviously their version of the written language, but Aiden couldn't make heads or tails of it.

_Well damn,_ he thought. He gestured to the paper and charcoal so that he could use it and wrote down what he wanted to say.

Can you understand this? I can't talk either but I can't read what you've written

The two males stared at the writing for a while before they smiled and nodded. Aiden let out a breath of relief and smiled at them. The older of the two began to write again.

My name is Arath, my friend is Sameth and the Healer was Trisha. What is your name?

Aiden quickly read through what Arath had written and then picked up the charcoal again.

My name is Aiden. Where am I? How long have I been here? Was there another with me? Has anyone come looking for me yet?

Sameth laughed silently at the rapid questions on the page and Aiden grinned shamelessly. Sameth took up the paper and charcoal this time.

You are in Raladin. We found you above us and brought you here before the Grey Guards could find you. You have been unconscious for a week. No one else was with you and we know of no one who has come looking for you. Any more questions?

Aiden nodded and cracked his fingers in anticipation.

Where exactly is Raladin in relation to the Broad River? How come you can't talk? What do you mean "above"? Why would you help me? Can you teach me how you write?

Arath took back the paper and charcoal with a slight glare to the smirking Sameth.

Raladin is east of the Broad River. We were cursed by the Sorceress Thaegan many years ago and as such we can no longer talk. We instead use flutes to create noise and emotion. This village is built under the one above so that the enemy cannot find us. We helped you because you needed help. Yes we can teach you how to write like us.

Aiden cheered silently before Arath got his attention again. This time the paper that he passed over was full of questions that he needed to answer.

How old are you? Why were you injured when we found you? How did you lose your voice? Who would be looking for you? Is there anything else that you'd like to learn?

Aiden paused slightly before he put charcoal to paper.

I'm 15 years old. The Grey Guard I was with was bored and angry. A monster from my past tried to cut my throat and failed but as a result I can't talk anymore. My adopted brothers Steven and Nevets would be looking for me. We were separated by the Broad River. You play the flute? I'd like to learn that.

Arath nodded with a smile at the last sentence. He wrote a few more things on the paper, telling Aiden that after he had rested some more they would begin teaching him. Aiden smiled at that and lay back down again. He was worried about Steven and Nevets, and he hoped that one of the Ralads would be able to help him out while he was still recovering. With a conflicted mind, Aiden drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Aiden stayed in Raladin for another four weeks. In that time he had learnt how to read and write in the Raladin language, and received a basic training in how to play the flute. He was still pretty bad at it but he could play the simple songs that all Raladin children could play. Arath had sent a few Ralad hunters out to find Steven and Nevets. They had returned after a week with good news. Steven was now aware that his younger brother was alive and well, and could expect to see him when he was recovered.

With that worry out of the way Aiden was able to completely concentrate on what was being taught to him.

At the end of the month Aiden packed up his belongings and bid farewell to his hosts. Around his neck with his opal necklace was a small flute that he would practice with whenever he could, and aside from the new backpack that he received with a couple of day's worth of food, was a walking stick that he could also use as a weapon. There was much music and smiles as he finally left. He promised that one day he would return.

With no regrets Aiden walked out of Raladin and towards the Broad River. His intention was to walk back to the orchard by following the Broad River, but like all plans that he made, this one didn't turn out the way it was expected to. For while Aiden had been recovering, the Grey Guards hadn't been sitting around idly. They were out hunting him…the one with the power of the Shadow Lord.

**

* * *

**

Next up in Deltora's Protector:

_**Chapter 5 - The Masked Ones and Gla-Thon**_


	5. The Masked Ones and GlaThon

Deltora's Protector

Chapter 5 – The Masked Ones and Gla-Thon

* * *

Aiden knew that without a doubt he was lost. He had been travelling west for four days, walking slowly as he was in no hurry, but still he had yet to even hear the sound of the Broad River. The food in his pack provided by the Ralads was almost finished and the thorns along the path he had chosen scratched at his skin and tore at his clothes. He decided that he hated them.

It was several hours later that Aiden stumbled across what appeared to be a well-used road. It ran north to south, not the way that he wanted to go, but he guessed that he could rest upon it for a while in case someone came by and could give him directions. Pulling out his flask of water Aiden sat down on the ground with a satisfied sigh. He told himself that he would wait half an hour before moving again, but while he waited he decided to practice playing his flute.

He began with some basic warm-up exercises, playing the different music scales so that in time he would become familiar with every sound and tone that he could create with the flute. There was nothing artistic about how he was playing, all the children in Raladin had been able to play each scale perfectly, and through each scale they were able to create lively tunes that Aiden was hoping to one day be able to play.

Half way through his playing Aiden froze. The flute pressed up against his lips was still as another sound drifted across the wind. The sound of singing, horses and rolling wagons drifted in the air and in slight apprehension Aiden wrapped his red scarf around his face in the hope of not being recognised. He had already gathered that this was a main road, and while he had intended to ask for directions if someone stumbled upon him, he hadn't actually been expecting anyone to appear.

He hoped that it wasn't more Grey Guards.

Aiden stood up slowly and leant back against the tree he had been resting in front of. He held his flute tightly in his hand and watched as what appeared to be a traveling circus appeared down the road heading north. Aiden blinked in surprise and looked closer. The people who were running around hardly looked like people at all. It appeared as if animals were running down the road, well, animal heads on human bodies. Aiden watched, bemused and slightly afraid as they came closer.

It wasn't until the lead caravan actually stopped in front of him that he realised that the animal heads were in fact masks. The quality and detail in each mask was amazing and each mask seemed to morph to the skin of their owners, creating the illusion of part human part animal.

"A bare-face who covers themselves?" a fox-woman stated scornfully. "Now I have seen everything."

"Don't be harsh Rust," a muscular pig-man stated. "It's a child."

"One who plays the flute very well," a large owl-woman mused. The other two, the fox-woman and the pig-man stared up at the owl-woman upon the caravan in shock.

"Bess, _ya cannat bay thankan abat kaypayn am_!" the fox-woman all but shouted. "_Ha as nat a _Masked One!"

Aiden blinked that the change in language. He had been thinking that for a moment the only language spoken in Deltora was English.

"_A nay that_!" the owl-woman, Bess, replied callously. "_Bat thar as samthang abat am. Ay shall tak am_."

Aiden suddenly blinked rapidly as the "new language" he had been listening to was in fact a code. It was only the sound that was different, they only changed all the vowels to an "a" so what was actually being said was:

"Bess, you cannot be thinking about keeping him! He is not a Masked One!"

"I know that! But there is something about him. I will take him."

The fox-woman, Rust, and the pig-man, whose name was Otto, argued some more with Bess but it seemed that she had made up her mind. The other masked travelers of the "circus" were waiting patiently for Bess to keep moving, and the children had moved off the road to play.

"Enough!" Bess finally snapped. "You! Child! Come to me!"

Aiden jumped as everyone's attention seemed to suddenly focus on him but made his way closer to the caravan. He looked up to Bess and tilted his head to the side in question.

"Speak! What is your name?" Bess commanded. Aiden lifted the bottom part of the scarf so that she could see his scar and shook his head. He quickly pulled out some paper and charcoal that was left over from his time in Raladin and quickly wrote his name so that she could see it.

"Aiden," Bess said slowly, dragging out each letter. "You have had the ability to speak taken from you. Is this paper how you communicate?"

Aiden nodded before looking down at the flute still clutched in his hand.

I'm trying to learn how to play to convey emotion, he wrote. I'm not very good though

"Well," Bess said. She snapped her fingers together as if she had just realised something. "I will teach you. You will be my student and will play when we travel and earn money to pay us back. Deal?"

Aiden nodded and smiled underneath his scarf. Bess ordered Otto to grab a mask from her caravan for him to wear and as soon as that was done the company began moving forward again. Aiden looked at his new mask and smiled brightly. The red mask looked similar to Fawkes, and it would match with what he was wearing. He slipped his scarf down to slip the mask on and shook his head to test it.

It appeared to be like a second skin. It wasn't stuffy or hot, it was quite soft against his skin and didn't restrict his ability to breathe. When he shook his head the mask didn't slip or slide, it sat perfectly still upon his face.

_I am a bird-man_, Aiden thought happily. _A phoenix._

* * *

As the sun was setting the group stopped and set up camp. Bess ordered Aiden to stay at her caravan while she made sure that everything was being set up properly and then after that they would eat and begin his lessons. Aiden didn't mind, he was happy to sit and swing his legs while a campsite was created from nothing in mere minutes. Fires crackled happily, children laughed and ran around, parents and other adults scolded or encouraged the children and the horses snickered and pawed the ground where they had been harnessed for the night. Several adults had set up what appeared to be the start of an assembly line for food as a few of the older children were already lined up and waiting with plates in their hands.

Aiden jumped when a plate of steaming food appeared before his eyes. He followed the hand holding it and saw Bess' owl mask. Accepting the plate with a nod, Aiden waited until Bess was seated with her own meal before he started eating. The food was hot a delicious, warming him up from the inside and allowing him to marvel at how easy it was to eat with the mask on. Throughout the day he had at times forgotten that he was wearing it.

"How old are you Aiden?" Bess asked after a while. "You seem to be too young to be travelling on your own."

I'm 15. My parents died when I was little and I grew up alone. I met Steven, Nevets and Queen Bee a few months ago and they've been looking out for me but I was separated from them when Grey Guards attacked us.

"So young," Bess murmured. "Steven and Nevets? The traveling merchants? We often trade with those two, though I have never met Nevets. Shall I assume that you would like to find them again?"

Aiden nodded and started to write again.

If we find them, I would like to go with them, but until then I would also like to learn from you

"That can be arranged," Bess said with a nod. Aiden could tell that she was smiling even though all her facial expressions were hidden behind the image of an owl. "Now, show me what you know already and we'll move from there."

Aiden pulled out his flute again and began playing his scales. Bess was impressed that he had been only learning for a month, but as soon as she discovered that he had no idea how to read the music he was playing, she set him back and gave him a theory lesson on what note was what. She explained that playing scales was fine, but to create real music one would have to be able to know what note they were playing.

Over the next three weeks Bess tutored Aiden in the art of music. He learnt how to read music, and how to play different tunes that he could use to entice potential customers to give up their money when they performed. They performed in Purley, Happy Vale and Charity and Bess expressed her pleasure at how much improved Aiden had become. He had integrated himself in with the Masked Ones so easily, that even when they had passed by a group of Grey Guards he had not been recognised. He had even gained a close friend in a young boy with a polypan mask, Zerry. Zerry was an orphan too, and had bad reputation around the other children. He was a first-class thief and could steal anything without anyone noticing. Aiden had wanted to see if the rumors were true and gave the boy only two years younger than him a dare. Zerry had to take one thing off a particularly snobbish girl in a cat mask. The object in question was a bracelet that she wore around her wrist, and one that she was always staring at. According to Zerry it was the last thing that she had of her parents.

To make the dare as risk free as possible, after Zerry stole it, presented it to Aiden as proof, he had to return it without the girl noticing. Zerry had merely nodded and declared it easy. Aiden watched from the small fire he and another boy with a dog mask, Matthew, had set up. Matthew was lying on his back staring at the sky, looking just like a lazy dog.

"Here Pyro," Zerry suddenly said as he appeared by Aiden's side. "This is her bracelet, any doubts?"

Aiden shook his head and then motioned that he was to return it.

"Why do we have to return it?" Zerry grumbled as he moved away. "I could probably sell it at the next town for something decent."

Aiden shook his head as the younger boy ran off again. Zerry was a troubled boy who had been abandoned by his parents when Grey Guards raided their house. The Grey Guards had demanded payment, but seeing as both his parents had no money on them, they had dumped their four-year-old son on their laps and that had been the last time he had seen them. He had escaped from the Grey Guards while they slept and had been picked up by the Masked Ones a few days later. When he was seven they had gone through his old town and discovered that the next time the Grey Guards had come through they had been killed because they couldn't pay them anything.

Ever since then Zerry had had an obsession with money, as he never wanted to die because he didn't have enough. Aiden understood as he had led a poor childhood of his own, but whereas he had learnt to fight to defend himself, Zerry had taught himself to steal.

"That kid idolizes you," Matthew suddenly stated. Aiden looked at him with his head tilted on the side. "Don't look at me like that. You know perfectly well what I mean. If any one of us had told him to return what he took, he would have laughed and run off to hide it. I don't know what you did but he almost worships the ground you walk on."

Aiden did know what he meant. In the first town they had been in, Purley, Zerry had been caught pick-pocketing by a particularly violent man and had come close to killing Zerry before Aiden had shown up. Using the power of the bracelet around his wrist, Aiden had sent out the most concussive force that he could throw and knocked the man unconscious. Zerry, wide-eyed and afraid, had merely sat still as Aiden approached him and healed what injuries he could by directing the bracelet's magic into Zerry's body. No one else knew of what had happened and Zerry had every intention of keeping it that way. He had also vowed to become better at stealing, as he didn't want to be caught again.

"Fine, keep your secrets," Matthew muttered. "Does he know that you won't be with us forever?"

Aiden nodded his head and watched as Zerry expertly returned the bracelet before returning again, this time with a plate full of stolen food for him and Aiden to snack on.

"He'll probably try to run away with you then," Matthew continued. "He'll be unbearable when you leave."

"No I won't dog-face," Zerry snapped when he returned. He placed the plate on the ground between him and Aiden and glared at the horizontal boy. "Pyro isn't going to be gone forever. He will be back. Won't you Pyro?"

Aiden nodded and slung his arm around the younger boy's shoulders. Zerry struggled in vain and once he was released he quickly moved the plate away. Matthew only laughed and then looked at Aiden in confusion.

"Why does he call you Pyro? It's something that everyone has been asking."

"Because he burns things when no one is looking," Zerry mumbled. "He also burns people if they're bad."

Matthew blinked and then looked at Aiden in disbelief. His eyes, the only thing visible behind the mask, moved up and down his body.

"I don't see it," he declared. "Aiden the Pyro…I can't see it."

"You will one day," Zerry muttered. Then louder he continued. "Can you play your flute again? It's cool to listen to you. Something lively."

Aiden grinned and pulled out his flute. He was proud of his progress, nowhere near a professional yet, but he had mastered several simple tunes and was working his way up to the more complicated songs under Bess' excellent tutoring. The sound of his music filled the air and soon there were several people jumping up and dancing with each other.

Zerry was laughing as he watched the others dance, but Aiden couldn't have been happier. He almost didn't want to leave the Masked Ones, but Steven and Nevets were waiting for him. It had been two months since he had seen them, and he was missing them. He hoped that Steven would be along the road they were on. He felt that it was time to go home.

* * *

"_Once there was an Ol-io,_

_Jolly-wolly Ol-io,_

_Once there was an Ol-io,_

_Fearsome as could be!_"

_I said to that Ol-io,_

_Jolly-wolly Ol-io,_

_I said to that Ol-io,_

_You don't bother me!_"

_Colly-wobble Ol-io,_

_Jolly-wobble Ol-io,_

_Colly-wobble Ol-io,_

_You don't bother me!_"

Aiden could hear the faint sound of singing over the general noise of the Masked Ones. His ears perked up as he recognised the words and soon he was running off towards the sound. Zerry called out to him, but Aiden was fast and he was soon far ahead. The troupe was coming up to a crossroad where they would turn left to head south towards Rithmere, a town where the Masked Ones were sure to gain a lot of money from performing. Aiden had been excited about going, but the sound of his "brothers" singing caused him more excitement.

"_Colly-wobble Ol-io,_

_Jolly-wobble Ol-io,_

_Colly-wobble Ol-io,_

_You don't bother me!_"

Aiden darted ahead of the lead caravan, ignoring the shouting behind him, and leapt into the path of Mellow and Steven. Mellow reared back in shock before stepping forward and pushing her nose against his mask in confusion. Steven dropped down from his perch to see who he had nearly run over, and cried out in delight upon recognising Aiden's outfit.

"Aiden! You're alive!" he cried in delight before picking him up and swinging him around. "The Ralads said that you were safe, but recovering from a few injuries from the Grey Guards. I was so worried about you! Mother nearly ripped my ear off for coming home without you, but I know she would have been worse if I hadn't come home at all and she had found out from another source. Oh, I'm so glad that you're safe."

Aiden laughed and wrapped his arms tighter around his brother's neck. He knew that he would get a harsh telling off later, but for now he was happy to see his family again.

"Pyro!"

Aiden looked back to where he had come from and started to pull Steven after him. He knew that Steven understood where he had been as he asked no questions and even greeted Bess warmly before offering to sell them some of his wares. Zerry appeared at Aiden's side and after taking one long look at Steven, seemed to know that Aiden wouldn't be traveling with them anymore.

"Young Aiden," Bess said to get his attention. "You have made me proud in your progress and I hope that you will return to me one day so that I can see if you have kept up with your practicing. You may keep that mask, so that when you return you will return as a Masked One, not a bare-face human."

With a slight bow Aiden agreed. He slung his arm around Zerry's shoulders in a promise to return before waving goodbye to everyone in the troupe. Steven lifted Aiden from the ground and placed him a top of his caravan so that he wouldn't be trampled as the Masked Ones went south.

"You better come back one day Pyro!" Zerry shouted as he went passed. "I'll never forgive you if you don't!"

Aiden played a few notes on his flute in promise, the brief lively jig putting a bounce in Zerry's steps. Aiden waved until he could no longer so the group before he turned to Steven. He only hoped that he had enough paper to explain everything that had happened in the past two months.

* * *

It had taken the rest of the day to explain his journey to Steven and Nevets. The caravan had not moved from where they had stopped at the crossroads, and in a not-so-surprising occurrence, Nevets and Steven had split when there was no danger and Nevets was holding Aiden in his lap. In front of the trio were pages upon pages of paper with words scribbled all over it. The charcoal still in Aiden's hand was that much smaller now, that he could barely hold it and write.

Steven organized all the paper in order, declaring that it was like a mini novel. Aiden had been completely honest with his brothers, even telling them about his bracelet, which in turn led to telling them what the whole City of Rats adventure was all about. Both Steven and Nevets had studied the bracelet curiously, but it was Steven who seemed to have an idea on what it was. Aiden considered asking him about it, but decided against it, only asking that they didn't tell anyone except Queen Bee.

With the sun setting, it was unanimously decided to camp in that spot and move on in the morning. So around the camp fire Aiden demonstrated his newly acquired musical skills, playing a range of musical tunes both lively and slow. Like the first time they had met, Aiden fell asleep by the fire and holding a mug of homemade _Queen Bee Honey_.

Over the next few days Steven explained the path that they were taking would lead them past Dread Mountain, Bone Point Lighthouse, and depending on the time they could either go back to the orchard or further south to the coast. In a couple of months, regardless of what path they took, they would stop in Del for a few days. Aidan wasn't too keen on that as Steven had admitted to hearing whispers about an enemy of the Shadow Lord, one that Grey Guards were to capture and bring to the Shadowlands as soon as they had him.

After a week of travelling the merchant caravan passed by Dread Mountain without stopping. Grey Guards were everywhere, so Aiden started to wear a hat down across his eyes so that he wouldn't be recognised. He never was.

However, as unfortunate as everything ended up being, the wheel of the caravan broke and they were forced to stop to repair it.

As Aiden was waiting for the caravan to be operational again, his mind erupted with images almost too fast for him to follow. He swayed in his seat slightly and closed his eyes so that he wouldn't lose his balance. When they opened again Steven was in front of him and holding him upright and looking at him in concern.

"Are you alright?" Steven asked. Aiden nodded and pulled a small notebook from one of his pockets and a new piece of charcoal. This couldn't be explained via hand signals or music.

I just had another vision. It took me by surprise.

"That was a vision? What did you see?" Steven asked after reading the paper.

Someone needs my help. I have to go for a bit but I'll be back. Will you wait for me here?

Steven was quiet for a while, still holding onto Aiden. In time he nodded and stepped back. His eyes flashed briefly and Aiden knew that Nevets was worried about him.

"You be careful," Steven ordered. "We'll be waiting here when you get back, call with your flute if you need help."

Aiden nodded and slid down off the caravan. His bare feet were silent as he stepped off the road into the foliage that stretched far in each direction. Within moments he was out of sight and exploring the different vegetation that he had never seen before. The leaves and branches under his feet snapped under his slight weight but he wasn't too concerned with anyone hearing him, he needed to come this way.

When he heard a crash ahead of him he froze and waited to see what would become of it. Voices echoed around him but the sound was too distorted to make out properly. Using the sound as a cover, Aiden began to move forward again, but this time taking extra care to be as quiet as possible.

He ended up in a clearing, not very big but it seemed to be the wider part of a game trail as it connected a bit further on to a windy trail. In the middle of the clearing was a pale child. There was dark blood on the ground surrounding the child, but there was no one else in sight. Aiden crept forward to see if he could help, and as he came closer he noticed that it wasn't a child at all.

"Stay away brat!"

Aiden stopped where he was as ordered, but instead of moving away, he sat down and tilted his head to the side as he regarded the person in front of him. Steven had told him that this part of Deltora was the home of the Dread Gnomes, and they lived in the mountain. To see one outside was a rare occurrence as they loved their treasure and horded it where no one else could get it.

Aiden started to draw in the dirt, symbols he had learnt from the Ralads. According to them, there were quite a few who recognised the language, not as many as in the past, but there was a chance that the Dread Gnome before him would know it. He asked what her name was, as it was clear to him that the Dread Gnome before him was female.

"Why don't you speak brat?" the Dread Gnome asked, but it wasn't cruel, more curious than anything. Aiden lifted his red scarf so that the scar beneath it could be seen. The Dread Gnome gasped in horror. At her expression Aiden let the scarf drop and rearranged it so that it sat comfortably.

"Humans did that to you?"

Aiden nodded as he pulled out his flute, not playing, just running his fingers over the holes. The Dread Gnome spat on the ground before completely relaxing.

"I guess that we are alike then," the Dread Gnome continued. "Humans did this to me too. Didn't quite catch it, but I think it was the Resistance. Barbarians think that because I live in Dread Mountain I am a supporter of the Shadow Lord. That…abomination…took my home from me and sat that fat beast upon our treasure. I haven't seen the sky in months, we aren't allowed outside you see. I just wanted to see it and those humans got me."

Aiden waited patiently, if with a little worry, as the Dread Gnome continued to speak. He wanted to help her, at least to put pressure on the wounds and stop the bleeding.

"My name is Gla-Thon," the Dread Gnome, Gla-Thon, said suddenly. "Could you write that on a stone for my grave? I don't think I'm going to live much longer."

At this Aiden darted forward and put his hand over her mouth. The message was clear. 'Don't say things like that'. He looked over the wounds and let his right hand trail over them, letting small bursts of energy break free to knit the wounds back together. Gla-Thon watched him with wide eyes, she could feel her body healing at a far more rapid pace than she was used to. When he was done Aiden slumped backwards, panting from the effort he had expended in healing. What he was using was the little medical knowledge he had looked at in preparing from the Triwizard Tournament. What he didn't know his own magic did so while it was a trying process, it still got him the desired results.

Gla-Thon sat up slowly and checked herself over in disbelief. Aiden knew what she was thinking as himself had thought something similar when he first turned up in Deltora.

_Why am I still alive?_

Aiden sat back up as much as he could and smiled softly. The two of them stared at each other in silence, Gla-Thon eventually allowing her gaze to drift to the scribbles on the ground. She asked him if he could write his name for her, he did.

"Aiden, I shall remember that," Gla-Thon stood up. "I will return to the mountain now, where I know that at the very least my life is guaranteed for now. I don't serve the Shadow Lord, but until a better option turns up I will continue as I have. Be safe, human Aiden."

Aiden nodded and watched as the Dread Gnome walked away. He realised that they were roughly the same height, something he was secretly pleased about as that meant there were people who he would be slightly taller than.

Once she was out of sight the young wizard lay back flat on the ground to catch his breath. He had no idea how long he lay there for, only that by the time he was ready to get up the sun was on its downward path and the shadows were long. He had to get back to Steven as he did not want to be trapped in unknown territory after dark. So with heavy limbs he stumbled to his feet and staggered back along his trail and into Steven's waiting arms. Steven held him in his lap as they moved away from Dread Mountain, and Aiden was asleep long before they stopped properly for the night.

* * *

"Aiden, wake up."

Aiden opened his emerald green eyes sluggishly and looked around blearily. He hadn't expected Steven to wake him up, normally he just set him down and covered him with a blanket if he fell asleep before they reached their destination for the night. Looking around though, he realised why he was woken. They were surrounded by a rag tag group of armed men.

They weren't Grey Guards, and they didn't look like they would work for the Shadow Lord, so Aiden figured they were the Resistance that Steven had been telling him about. He looked at his older brother curiously but accepted the mug of warmed honey willingly enough. His throat was recovering and it didn't hurt as much anymore, but it was only the honey that seemed to have any effect on it.

"It's become too dangerous for you to be travelling with me," Steven explained quietly. "These people are friends and they will protect you until the heat calms down."

Aiden looked stricken, the mug in his hand forgotten as he tried to reach for his flute to convey how much he hated that idea. Steven stopped his hand from moving with a sigh.

"I'm not abandoning you, I want to keep you by my side," he said. "But you've seen how determined the Shadow Lord wants you captured. I don't want you to have to endure that fate. I will come back for you once it's safe. I would trust these people with not only my life, but yours as well."

Aiden stopped trying to reach his flute and stared at Steven sadly. Steven released his hand only to pull him into a hug. He stood up and led Aiden over to where the main group was.

"You'll protect him?" Steven asked one man with a scar down the side of his face. The man nodded. Steven knelt down and pulled Aiden into another hug.

"Be safe Aiden," he whispered. And then he was gone. Aiden looked back at him as he disappeared before his attention leapt back to the man Steven had given him to.

"Welcome to the Resistance. My name is Doom."

* * *

Next up in Deltora's Protector:

**_Chapter 6 - Doom and Tora_**


	6. Doom and Tora

Deltora's Protector

Chapter 6 – Doom and Tora

* * *

It had been two months since Aiden had last seen Steven and Nevets, and at least five months since he had last seen Queen Bee. In just under a month he would be turning sixteen. He hoped that before then he would be back with his surrogate family.

Yet in the past two months he had become a fully accepted member of the Resistance, and was often referred to as Doom's Shadow. He followed the scarred man everywhere inside the base, and only a month into his stay at the Resistance Base Doom had started to take him out on small missions to stretch his legs and relieve the tension that had accumulated from an extended stay indoors. Aiden had always hated being inside, and after one mere week, everyone in the Resistance knew it as well.

He had seen the inside of four different Resistance Bases throughout Deltora, and each one was different in appearance and location. There was one south of Dread Mountain, which was the one Aiden had stayed in for the first few weeks; another one north-west of Rithmere; one in Withick Mire on the outskirts of Del; and one east of the Os-Mine Hills but west of the Forest of Silence. The most recent base that Aiden had been in was the one north-west of Rithmere and it was the most remote of all four bases.

The missions Doom took him on weren't hard, go outside and grab supplies before returning to the Base and staying out of everyone's way. Doom taught him how to handle the small blade he carried in his pocket, but could find no fault with his evasive abilities. Aiden still practiced his flute playing, and one of the members of the Resistance used to play music in the palace in Del, so Aiden learnt several new songs from him.

There was only one person who Aiden didn't get along with, and that was the young boy Dain. Dain was the same age as he was, but there was something about him that just didn't sit right. The boy had dark hair that brushed his shoulders, pale skin, a narrow face and dark eyes that sent chills down the back of Aiden's neck. Dain often spoke of visiting Tora, but every time he asked Doom told him stories of how Tora was overrun with Grey Guards and how it was unsafe to visit. Aiden avoided him as much as possible, but seeing as Doom preferred to keep both of them in sight, that was very difficult. The fact that Aiden couldn't speak helped a lot in avoiding confrontations.

The heat from the Grey Guards hadn't died down in the slightest, though Aiden took precautions in disguising his appearance. His description that was given to the Grey Guards was of a child wearing a red scarf and no shoes, and had black hair and bright green eyes. Aiden had no idea how they had gotten his description, and decided that the Guard who had captured him, and been eaten by Soldeen, had a mental link with the others in his pod and they all had his description. That description, both of his appearance and abilities, had reached the Shadow Lord's ears and the result was Hunted Human.

Aiden now wore shoes, much to his dislike, and had swapped his treasured scarf for a black shirt with a long neck. Thus his scar was still covered but he no longer wore a red scarf. He had changed that to a bandana to cover his black hair. There was nothing he could do about his green eyes, so he did his best not to look anyone in the eye. He portrayed the perfect, shy child who wouldn't have the courage to defy anyone.

To relieve the boredom of having nothing entertaining to do, Aiden spent a lot of time contemplating the past. Spells he had learnt back at Hogwarts would circulate around in his head, and conversations he'd had with his friends and family would haunt him. He often wondered if Neville had gotten away alive from the Island, and if Ron and Hermione were alright. He remembered one conversation with Sirius the clearest though, and that was what the canine animagus had done to become a dog. That was what Aiden focused on when he had nothing to do. He wanted another form to be able to retreat to, to hide in until the danger was past, and possibly to fly back to England if his form was a bird.

Sirius had stressed that it was important to find your inner animal and learn as much as you could about it before even attempting the transfiguration. It was a long process, and even after two months all Aiden had managed was to glimpse his inner animal, and that was it retreating from him. He was determined to keep trying, but in his heart he doubted if he was even meant to become an animagus.

Doom managed to catch a glimpse of his despair and decided that Aiden would accompany him to getting supplies for the Resistance. This was done for two reasons. One, it would allow Aiden to leave the Base for longer than a day and two, it would reunite Aiden with Steven and Nevets for a while and allow them to catch up. The scarred man imagined that it would cheer all of them up. Dain had wanted to come as well, but Doom refuted him and sent him off north to hunt Ols.

"I'm not carrying you if you fall behind Aiden," Doom suddenly warned from further along the path. Aiden looked up at him and grinned before jogging a little to reach the man's side. Much to his annoyance his head only just reached above Doom's elbow. He was fifteen but many who he had met had stated that he looked closer to thirteen. It was better than the twelve Steven had thought he was when they first met but it was still pretty pathetic.

"Another few hours and we'll reach Where Waters Meet, and then you can rest before that brother of yours arrives," Doom continued. "Then you can carry some of our supplies in that backpack of yours in the week journey back to Base."

Aiden wrinkled his nose in distaste and the thought of more weight on his back. His backpack currently held all of his worldly belongings. His flute, red bird mask, notebook, spare charcoal sticks in a wooden case, water canteen, food for himself as Doom carried his own in his knapsack, and his spare dagger given to him by the Resistance all had their own spots in the bag.

He and Doom had been traveling for a week already, stopping only to rest or hide from agents of the Shadow Lord. They had spotted four clusters of Ols along the way, and the only reason they had dodged them was because Doom had an uncanny ability to sense the shape-shifters. They were walking aside the Broad River, but not too close as there were many dangers in the water if one were to slip and fall in.

"How are your feet?" Doom asked, staring at the short boy by his elbow. Aiden held his hand out in front of his and tilted it sideways and then back again. The day before he had slipped on some rocks and landed heavily on his feet. The impact had sent shockwaves throughout his body and left his legs numb for several moments before he was able to stand on them again without falling over. Ever since then his feet had been aching but he was accustomed to feeling pain so he was able to continue despite the ache.

"Alright, now the truth," Doom demanded. Aiden sighed and stopped walking so he could draw on the ground using the Ralad symbols. Doom could read them just fine so he didn't have to reach into his backpack for paper and charcoal.

They ache constantly, but I am capable of walking to the town

Doom mentally translated the symbols before sighing. Over the two months he had been with Aiden, he swore he had never met anyone as stubborn about their health as the boy. Scabs, cuts, hunger, bruises, and headaches, unless you could read his body language, or he told you himself, it was near impossible to tell if anything was wrong with Aiden. The boy was also very stubborn and until he collapsed from pain or exhaustion, there was nothing anyone could do to make him stop.

Unless your name was Doom.

With one explosive sigh Doom lifted Aiden from the ground and onto his back next to his knapsack. The child was so light that his weight barely registered to him. Aiden kicked in protest but stopped once Doom looked back over his shoulder with a glare.

Doom was a complicated person. He was the only known survivor from the Shadowlands but what had happened to him had been so horrific that his memory had been suppressed so much that he didn't have a clue as to who he had been. A man who lived near Dread Mountain had found him, taken care of him, and then died. That man's name had been Doom of the Hills, and in honor of the man's assistance, the survivor had taken the name Doom and thus became a strong leader of the only resistance against the Shadow Lord's reign.

The leader of the Resistance was also a very private man, and it was only after one of Aiden's nightmares that the boy was told anything about the man who was almost like a father to him. Early in their relationship Aiden had woken up silently screaming and inconsolable, Doom had taken him outside and held him as if he were a small child until he had calmed down enough that he was no longer trying to run off.

So on the roof of the Resistance Base, Doom admitted his feelings of fear; fear that he had forgotten something really important, fear that what he was doing was all for nothing, and then fear that paralyzed him when he couldn't recall where he was, thinking he was back in the Shadowlands and everything had been a hope-filled dream. Aiden understood perfectly.

There were times we he believed that his adventures in Deltora were nothing more than an elaborate dream he'd created for himself after being a prisoner on the Island. He figured he'd finally been tortured to insanity and this is what his insanity looked like. It calmed him to know that someone else understood how he felt, even if he couldn't explain the reasons for his nightmares.

"I'd really like to know when you're having trouble Aiden," Doom stated a little further on down the trail. "You're my responsibility, and as much as I tried not to I've come to actually care about you a lot. You repeat that to anyone though and I'll deny it. But the fact is, when you're hurt, I want to know. What if we were suddenly attacked by Grey Guards, or Ols, and your injury held you up without my knowledge? You are being hunted, and believe me when I say you never want to end up in the Shadowlands."

Aiden nodded his understanding but other than that didn't move. He wouldn't admit it, but he did appreciate that he was no longer walking. Doom made no other sound as they walked, and the steady gait they were travelling at had Aiden drifting off into a semi-conscious state. He would have remained like that too if Doom hadn't suddenly frozen in his stride and spun around to stare into the trees. Aiden lifted his head in confusion and tensed as he heard what the older man had heard before him.

"Damn," Doom whispered. "I hate these guys. Annoying Guards."

With that said he started to run. Aiden's grip tightened around Doom's neck as he turned his head to look back at where they had come from. Chasing them were six Grey Guards, and they were gaining on them. He shuddered and turned his eyes back to the front. He had no idea where they were going, but he was sure that Doom did. He had taken them off the trail and if Aiden could guess, they were heading south. Though what was south he had no idea. He couldn't even ask as his voice didn't work.

"It's not safe for us to meet up with Steven and Nevets," Doom muttered as he ran. "We'd never make it to Where Waters Meet, but there is a place a little closer that will work for us. Grey Guards won't survive there, and while we may feel a little uncomfortable, we'll be safe."

Aiden looked around at the landscape in confusion. They had left the Broad River behind, and Aiden wanted to be able to identify their location. He wished his voice worked, but then judging from the steadily increasing shouts behind them, it may be safer if he didn't utter a sound. Doom suddenly pointed out their destination and for a few moments Aiden was able see what he was sure was an architect's greatest achievement.

Tora.

Rising from the ground was a massive block of white marble with creative and mysterious carvings up and down and across. Beyond the wall was a city made of the same white marble. Its structures rose high and majestic, but there was no life. Something was hanging heavy in the air, and Aiden was unable to identify it. It felt like light, but at the same time it was dark, like something horrible had happened but the light was stopping it from consuming everything. Around the outside of the wall was a mist so thick that the base of the wall was invisible.

"We'll be safe within these walls," Doom muttered unwillingly. "I swore I'd never return here, but I believe I will be able to with you. Don't struggle alright?"

That was all the warning Aiden got before they plunged into a thick mist that made the air feel heavier than before. He cringed as he felt something invade his mind, it was pure and warm, and he felt all his fear leave him. He felt calm, like a great weight had suddenly lifted from his shoulders that he hadn't known was sitting there. He closed his eyes and relaxed.

Doom stumbled suddenly but before he could collapse he allowed Aiden stand on his own. Aiden dropped to the ground beside him and put his hands on Doom's shoulders in concern. Doom forced himself into a sitting position and looked at Aiden with a smile.

"This place is protected by magic," he explained. "But for those of us whose purpose in life is ruled by anger, hate and fear, this city is like torture. It takes away our purpose. When I first came here, I swore that I would never return."

Aiden was unsettled, and confused. He could feel the magic in the air, and in the tunnel, but this was different. It seemed that the defenses were the only thing in this city still working, but the magic that was at work in the city was also repelling the inhabitants. He looked around at the perfect city, its white buildings, the little plants in the windows, the coloured stalls around the pathways, and the lack of life. Aiden pulled the paper and charcoal from his bag as there was no dirt he could draw in.

What happened here?

Doom read the words and asked what he meant. Aiden pulled the paper back to him and started to write. It took a while for him to get it done, but Doom waited patiently. When he was done, the older man took the paper and read what had been written.

This place is almost perfect, but it's cold and lifeless. The air feels heavy, like betrayal someone's disappointed. You said this place was under the control of the Shadow Lord, but the Shadow Lord would not survive in a place such as this. The magic in this place robs a person of everything that the Shadow Lord is. But it also protects the innocent. What could have happened that the creators of this magic would be physically repelled from these walls?

Doom thought over the words carefully. There was a lot in it that gave him a clue as to who Aiden was. The admittance to feeling the magic at work was curious, as all he could feel was that the emotions he drew purpose from were suppressed. There was nothing odd about this place, unless one was nervous about being in a white city without another living being in the vicinity.

Before he could answer the question there were several screams from the tunnel they had used. Both he and Aiden spun slowly as to watch what was happening. From the mist there were six shadows twitching in obvious pain before there was a flash and smoke of some kind rose from the shadows and silence fell. Aiden shook slightly. That was what the defenses of Tora did to those who possessed evil souls.

"I'm sure you've guessed that this is Tora," Doom started, drawing Aiden's attention back to him. "This is indeed the place that Dain so dearly wants to visit, but I've told him that the Shadow Lord controls it so that he doesn't lose hope that his parents are still alive. I have no idea where the Torans have gone, but this city hasn't been lived in for close to sixteen years now. The disappointment you feel, I don't know. I guess it ties into why the Torans don't live here anymore. And I don't want to stay here for much longer, I need my purpose for living so now that those Guards are gone let's go ourselves."

Aiden wanted to agree, but a sudden vision before his eyes had him pausing. He took of his right glove, revealing the bracelet to Doom, and rested it on Doom's forehead. He closed his eyes and concentrated, but when he opened them he discovered that they were no longer in Tora.

"What was that?" Doom asked, his voice strangely lacking the anger Aiden expected it to have. He guessed that since they were still in Tora negative emotions still wouldn't work. If he could guess accurately, they were inside Doom's mind. If that were the case then Aiden's voice should work.

"We're in your mind," Aiden stated, hearing himself speak English for the first time in just over a year. Doom looked at him in shock before looking around. The landscape was dark, but above them shone a red moon. The man shuddered, he knew where they were.

"Why this place?" he asked. Aiden shrugged.

"This is your earliest memory," the boy explained. "There is something that you have to know about yourself. Your whole life cannot be dictated by anger and revenge. Believe me, you will only lose yourself that way."

"How do you know what's in my mind?" Doom asked.

"I'm not of Deltora," Aiden stated. "I was born in a different land, and have abilities that set me apart from the norm. Around my neck I wear an opal, I'm sure you've seen it. It corrects my eyesight, but at the same time it gives me visions of certain things. This is one of them. I followed the prompting of the opal and here we are. Will you let yourself see what your mind has hidden from you?"

For the first time since Aiden had known the man, he saw the man's fear and insecurity. It couldn't have been plainer that he didn't want to, that he was scared of what his mind had hidden from him. Aiden walked across Doom's mind and put his small hand into Doom's larger one.

"I don't think I can," the man whispered.

"One day you will remember," Aiden whispered back. "Isn't it better to get this done now instead of in an inopportune moment, like when we're in the middle of a battle?"

Doom was conflicted, but in the end he nodded and took a deep breath. With that small acceptance the scenery changed to a prison cell with many people inside. Aiden recognised a younger looking Doom, one without the scar on his face, and noticed a young woman attached to his side. There were tears in both their eyes as they clung to each other. Both of them were injured, blood soaked through their clothes, but still they sat and ignored their physical injuries.

"_Do you think Jasmine's alright?_" the woman asked softly. Younger-Doom looked down at her and nodded.

"_She's strong_," he murmured. "_We taught her everything we could. She will survive._"

"_She was eight years old,_" the woman continued. "_I've lost track of time. I think she's ten now. She must be so scared. Do you think she's waiting for us to come back? The Forest of Silence is such a dangerous place for a child._"

"_When we get out of here we'll go and find her,_" Younger-Doom whispered tearfully. "_I promise Anna, when we find our baby she'll be safe. She'll have friends aside from the trees and animals of the Forests, and I bet she'll be just as beautiful as you. Her hair will be wild and free, like her spirit, but she'll have bright green eyes, like yours._"

"_And she'll be as stubborn as you my dear Jarred,_" Anna agreed with a watery smile. "_When her mind is set on something she will go for it with all her heart and nothing anyone tells her will stop her._"

The imprisoned couple, Jarred and Anna, fell silent. Around them people cried in fear. They knew that they wouldn't live long in the Shadowlands. Anna reached up and laid her hand on Jarred's cheek. Tears fell from her eyes as she stared at the man she loved.

"_Promise me you'll find our daughter, our beautiful Jasmine,_" she pleaded. Jarred had tears in his eyes as well as he grasped her hand.

"_I promise_," he whispered. Anna smiled at him before closing her own eyes. She took one shuddering breath before falling still. Jarred clutched at her limp hand desperately. Tears and sobs coursed throughout his body and before too long his howls of despair echoed along the corridors of the prison complex. No one paid even the slightest attention to him.

Aiden was glad that he was currently just an image in Doom's mind, because otherwise his hand would more than likely be crushed in the grip the man had on him. He pulled them away from the scene and then back into the real world. Doom curled in on himself instantly as sobs shook his body. Aiden rested his hand on the man's shoulder, unsure of whether or not he was wanted there for making him relive what was a traumatic time in his life.

"I have a daughter," Doom eventually muttered. "Her name is Jasmine, and when I last saw her she was eight years old. She lived in the Forest of Silence. It's been eight years, I don't even know if she's still alive, or remembers what I look like. Do you think she hates me?"

With his last question he looked up into Aiden's eyes, reading the shock that was hidden there. Aiden wished he could speak to convey what he wanted to say, and put his right hand back on Doom's forehead. They didn't move into anyone's mind, but Doom could hear the young boy's voice as clearly as if he was speaking aloud.

_How could she hate you after what you've been through? More than likely she misses you and no matter what age she is she will want to see you again. I know because it is my greatest desire to see my parents again, and the only memory I have of them is my dad telling mum to run, and then my mum's scream as she died. Anything would be better than that. Go out and find her! You will never know if you keep putting it off!_

Doom blinked as the voice faded from his mind and he noticed Aiden was swaying slightly and his face had gone pale. He managed to catch the boy before he hit the ground and pulled him to his chest in gratitude.

"I don't know what I'd do without you," he whispered. "Must be your eyes, they've always stood out to me. With that memory it must be because they remind me of Anna. Ha! I know my name! Who would have thought that I'd ever remember that?"

Aiden smiled and wrapped his arms around Doom's neck. Doom stood up and started to walk out of the city of Tora. He continued to speak as they walked back into the mist to continue their journey to Where Waters Meet.

"For now I think I'll stick with Doom, but once we've got these supplies back to the Resistance, I'm going to head east. I'll go alone, that way I can move unseen. It shouldn't take too long, and I can meet up with the Resistance afterwards to establish our next plan of attack. Oh, could you not tell Dain that we've been here? It would crush him if he found out that his parents weren't here like he wants them to be."

Aiden nodded with a smile and relaxed into Doom's hold. Using that much energy in one go hadn't been very smart, but he was glad that he had, there was a spring in Doom's step that hadn't been there before. Aiden had given him a new purpose, even if it was just to find out if his daughter was still alive. But it wasn't just that, Doom had been afraid to face his past because of what he might remember, but now not only did he know he had a daughter, he also knew his name. That was something that no one would be able to take from him again.

* * *

An hour later the two of them walked into Where Waters Meet, a small town where few people still lived as it was often prey to pirates that roamed along the Broad River. Doom confessed that he didn't think anyone would be living in the small town in another month or two. But while there was people, there was also sales. Steven and Nevets would blend in easily enough, and Steven was well liked amongst the people.

"We'll rest over here," Doom announced. "Steven won't be long, he sent word that this is where he'll be. He planned on camping on the outskirts of the town tonight I believe. We'll join him and then head back tomorrow. Understand?"

Aiden nodded with a broad grin on his face. He sat down against an abandoned house and crossed his legs. As difficult as it may be at that moment, he closed his eyes with the intention to meditate and find his inner animal. His body relaxed as it normally did, but instead of just drifting in nothingness this time, he was able to see his inner animal. With its bright red feathers, golden beak, long talons and a strange crest on its chest, Aiden found himself staring at a phoenix. He was so startled that he fell out of his meditative state. His green eyes opened wide and a few seconds later he started to smile. He had just gotten further in his mediation than ever before and gained a new goal.

Briefly he wondered over his animal being a phoenix, but then realised that it described him pretty well. He was almost impossible to kill as he just kept coming back, something Voldemort understood very well, and he had an affinity with fire, something that Zerry had noticed when he was still with the Masked Ones. He felt most at home in the air, had a "saving people thing", and after studying healing spells in the library for the Triwizard Tournament he discovered that he had an instinct with healing spells. Another similarity was his love of music, particularly the flute. He wished he had someone to help him with the transformation, but from now on he would go with his instincts as they hadn't led him wrong before.

"That grin tells me that something momentous just happened," Doom suddenly remarked. Aiden nodded at him happily. "Well, Steven just turned up so why don't you run along and you're already gone."

Before Doom had finished speaking Aiden was up and running in the direction of Steven's singing. He could hear Doom laughing as he followed but once he saw his brother there was nothing that could have stopped him from leaping through the air into the giant's waiting arms. Steven started to laugh as he swung the young boy around, and the few people that had gathered looked at the two of them with indulging smiles. Steven promised that they would have a long talk once he was done with business, before setting the boy down on top of the caravan and turning to sell his wares to his customers.

Doom didn't buy anything with the others around, but as soon as the caravan was pulled from the town he and Steven started to talk about prices for Resistance supplies. Nevets separated from Steven, shocking Doom momentarily, but the usually violent brother was only interested in checking Aiden over himself.

"Nevets is only ever calm around myself and mother, but as soon as Aiden came along Nevets has acted as if Aiden were truly a blood relation of ours," Steven explained to Doom. "No one else could get that reaction from him, so don't expect for Nevets to be like this if Aiden isn't around. He will still become violent and protective with others, so I suggest that you remain semi-distant with him."

Doom nodded his understanding and related tales of Aiden's last two months with the Resistance, excluding what happened in Tora. Aiden and Nevets soon joined them, Aiden sitting in Nevets' lap playing his flute. It was a nice change and he wished that he could stay with his family, but his dreams were warning him of something big. Something was about to happen that would affect all of Deltora and he wouldn't be able to hide while it happened.

"Go to sleep Aiden, we'll leave in the morning," Doom ordered. Aiden grinned at him and curled up like a cat on Nevets' lap. Maybe he would be able to return to the orchard after they had dropped the supplies off. Doom would be heading east, and Dain was odd, so maybe he could spend a few weeks with Queen Bee. He'd ask later. For now he soaked in the feeling of being completely safe and surrounded by people he trusted with his life.

* * *

_**Next up in Deltora's Protector:**_

_**Chapter 7 - The Death of a Sorceress**_


	7. The Death of a Sorceress

Deltora's Protector

Chapter 7 – The Death of a Sorceress

* * *

Previously on Deltora's Protector:

_Harry Potter was tortured for months in a prison known as the Island. During his stay he lost his voice and as such can no longer speak. A rescue attempt was made and while Harry managed to get out, it wasn't in England he returned to. He was washed ashore the western shore of Deltora and taken care of by Verity, the spirit girl of Bone Point Lighthouse. Shortly afterwards he met Steven, Nevets and Queen Bee. He was renamed Aiden and spent a few months recovering at Queen Bee's orchard. One day he snuck away to the City of the Rats and became the owner of a fine bracelet. Aiden joined Steven on his rounds and during his adventures became friends with the Ralads, a Dread Gnome, the Resistance and became an enemy of the Shadow Lord. His adventures have only just begun..._

* * *

"Happy Birthday Aiden!"

The morning greeting brought a smile to Aiden's face as he stared at the three people before him. He had been home for three weeks and was now finally sixteen years old. Doom had stayed at the Resistance Base north-west of Rithmere for an extra week before making his way east. Apparently the Resistance was suspicious of the Rithmere Games that were held once a year and they wanted to figure out what the Shadow Lord was gaining from interfering with them. The games were still a few months away but Doom explained to him and Dain that it was always best to plan in advance, that way you could predict everything that could happen, and come up with numerous contingency plans for anything that didn't go to plan. Dain had given some ideas to the pre-planning but other than that the other boy had spent his time running through a few sword drills to battle against Ols with.

Doom, once the first steps of planning had been achieved, had announced that he was going to gather information from the Withick Mire base before heading north east and working his way around to Tom's shop and then back to the base. He had no idea how long he would be, but he would be taking his time so that the Shadow Lord didn't get wind of him. He would also be taking Aiden home so that while he was busy Aiden could be kept occupied and he would pick him up on the way back. Everyone was fine with that idea as it seemed that once Aiden got stir crazy, only Doom could either snap him out of it or give him something to do that would occupy him for any length of time.

So that was how Aiden ended up being home, surrounded by Bee, Steven and Nevets on his sixteenth birthday.

"Well birthday boy, today is just for you," Bee stated with a warm smile. "I made all your favourites and unless you really want to you don't have to do any chores today. I only ask that you stay within the orchard boundaries in case those Grey Guards come by again, but otherwise you may do as you wish."

"Take advantage of that little brother," Steven advised. "This is the only day in the whole year that you will be able to get away with it while you're here."

Nevets growled his agreement and soon the two grown men were scrambling for the door as Bee turned to them with a glower. She informed Aiden that there would be cake after dinner, so he should be on time, but otherwise she had some other children to set to work. Aiden laughed silently before grabbing a few apples and heading outside to eat. He wanted to work on his animagus transformation and having the prospect of a whole day to himself was too good to pass up.

In the past three weeks he hadn't had long to study his form, but he was now able to get close enough to study all the little things about his inner animal. For example, while at first glance he looked like a normal-ish red phoenix, the mark on his chest actually suggested otherwise. The mark was circular with seven smaller circles on the same ring. It looked a lot like his bracelet, except where his bracelet had black stones on it; the phoenix had seven different colours circles. In the center of the mark was a lightning bolt, like his scar, and Aiden had sighed upon realising that he would never be free of the accursed mark. One of the phoenix's eyes was slightly bigger than the other as well, and when its wings were outstretched there were small scars visible on the inside of the wings. The beak of the phoenix curved downwards and the tail of the phoenix was a meter long. Each mark and image on the phoenix was important to remember if he ever wanted to be able to transform.

Today he wanted to try and start the change of turning his arm into a wing. Starting out slow he focused mainly on creating feathers on his arm. With no idea how to do it he merely focused his magic and willed it to change the shape of his body. He had to do it alone as the only beings in Deltora that could change their shapes were Ols, and they were servants of the Shadow Lord.

As lunch time came and went, Aiden paused to eat some of the fruit he had brought with him and studied his arm. He had managed to give his arm a slightly reddened appearance, and the small hairs on his arm were definitely a different texture, but other than that there was no change. It took a lot of energy to be able to force his body into a different form. Once he had finished eating though he decided to play his flute so that he didn't stress himself out. It was a lively little tune that had the birds and bees above him dancing through the air in their own styles. Aiden stood from his sitting position to dance around with them, jumping and turning and playing music as he moved.

Then his bracelet exploded.

Bright golden light ignited from his wrist and startled him so much that he dropped to the ground, holding his right wrist as far away from his body as he could. Shouts echoed around the orchard from Steven, Nevets and Bee, but Aiden was too started to pay attention to them. For on his wrist were six black stones, and one gold stone. He knew instantly that it meant the topaz of the Belt of Deltora had been returned to his proper place after sixteen years of absence.

"Aiden! Are you alright? What's wrong?"

Aiden turned to where Steven was coming out of the trees and moved his wrist so that the bracelet could be seen. Steven, with Nevets and Bee behind him, came closer and gazed in wonder at the new stone.

"What does that mean?" Bee asked curiously, her hand over her heart. Aiden pulled some paper and charcoal from his pocket as he never went anywhere without it.

Somewhere, the Belt of Deltora has been found and whoever is in possession of it is after the Great Gems. My bracelet shows the current state of the Belt, so I'll know as soon as another Gem is added to it.

"You'll have to wear those gloves at all times then," Steven observed after reading the paper. "If that thing is going to blind everyone every time a Gem is added it'll be safer if it's covered. Safe for you as well. No one can know what that bracelet means."

"The Resistance is going to be especially dangerous this year," Bee added. "I don't know if you should be going out there."

I can't stay hidden here. This bracelet means something, and I have to be out there to prove my worth. I think that I came here for a reason, and whatever that reason is, what is starting to happen now is it. Please don't keep me here.

Bee and Steven looked at each other, communicating silently. Nevets on the other hand merely lifted Aiden from the ground and pulled him into a bone crushing hug. Aiden knew that they were worried, but he couldn't hide. He had never been able to hide in the past when his friends were in danger; he didn't think that that would change now that he was in a different country.

* * *

"You be safe Aiden!" Bee called as he walked away. "If anything happens to you I will hunt you down and grown boy or not I will take you over my knee so that you never do something so reckless again!"

Aiden smiled back and waved. He wasn't going with Steven and Nevets, as they had left for their rounds a few days previously, but his path would be taking him east. With any luck he would meet with Doom, otherwise he would eventually make his way to Rithmere once his business in the east was completed.

He had changed his outfit to one completely black. Against his will he was wearing black boots, and tucked into those boots were black pants. A grey shirt hung loose over his skinny frame, and a black belt kept it close to his body as well as providing a place for his dagger to sit within easy reach. A dark brown cloak hung from his shoulders, covered his backpack, and its hood hid his face in shadows. His red scarf he wore around his right wrist, covering the bracelet, and his hands were hidden underneath black gloves. He knew that no one would recognise him, and if luck would have it the scarf and glove would keep the shine of the bracelet hidden.

His destination was Raladin. He wanted to visit Arath and Sameth again, as well as to demonstrate his progress with his flute. He also wanted to see if they knew who the travellers were who he kept seeing in his dreams. They were clearer now and he could see the three of them, plus one Ralad, before Soldeen and fighting. He had no idea if that was the distant future, or if it had already passed when he arrived. It would give him some clue as to how far into the future he was glimpsing.

His path took him along the Broad River, but as soon as the river started to wind its way north Aiden would break away from it and head east until he recognised his location. Steven had left a compass in his possession, stating that as often as Aiden found himself on his own and lost, it would be better off if he had something to help him navigate. Also in his bag was a crude map of Deltora that Steven had drawn, highlighting all his sale paths and some safe areas where he could hide without fear. Aiden would use them if he had no other choice, but he would be trying the Resistance Bases first as everyone knew him in those places.

One week into his journey he found himself near Raladin, but also surrounded by eleven wolves. He momentarily contemplated his extreme bad luck before running for his life in the clearest direction he could see. It was away from Raladin, but still in an easterly direction. If he could imagine his map properly he was heading north-east and directly between the Lake of Tears and Raladin. He cursed to himself as he continued to run, wolves were fast but these ones were just teasing him.

He leapt out of the trees without looking too much in front of him and crashed into another boy who looked familiar but he couldn't focus on him too much. A shock of energy ran up his arm from his bracelet and he set aside the curiosity as he turned back to the danger behind him. The boy had cried out at his sudden appearance, and his two companions had drawn their weapons. Beside them was a Ralad, so Aiden knew that his brief message would get to them. He scratched in the dirt "run" in the Ralad symbols as it was quicker before standing up and running down the path that the four had been following.

The snarls of the wolves echoed behind him, and soon the sound of running feet from the group he'd stumbled across joined in with all the other sounds of the forest.

"They're just wolves, let's kill them!" the girl from the group was saying.

"Too many, and Manus can't fight," the older man from the group rebutted.

"Who cares? Just run!" the boy Aiden had knocked over declared. And it was in that moment that Aiden remembered who he was. The group behind him was one he had seen in his dreams for the past month since his bracelet had notified him of the sudden claiming of the topaz. And the bracelet had recognised its large partner the second it had come into close contact with it, the Belt of Deltora. He cursed again as he stumbled over some loose rocks, his breath coming in painful gasps. It would hurt, but he needed the wolves to be gone.

He stopped running and spun to face his adversary. The man, the boy, the girl and the Ralad man ran passed him before they noticed that he was no longer running.

"What are you doing?" the man asked. "They'll kill you if you stop!"

The others had stopped as well but Aiden ignored them as his right arm moved back, as if a ball were in his hand ready to be thrown. With one great explosion of breath a ball of red light flew towards the wolves as his hand released it and the powerful stunning spell had all eleven animals out cold on the ground. Aiden sank to his knees, panting, and tried to stay conscious after using all his energy in one go.

"Time to go I think," the boy from the group announced as he lifted Aiden onto his shoulders so that could move quickly. "I'm Lief by the way. What was all that back there?"

Aiden shrugged at him, not able to answer even if he could. His vision darkened and before he even realised it himself, he was unconscious. He never heard the shouts of alarm nor did he feel the tall man lift him so that they could run some more. All he saw and felt was darkness.

* * *

The second Aiden awoke he knew that he was in Raladin again. The smells and the feel of the bed beneath him was just as he remembered. He sat up slowly, noticed he was alone, before walking outside where the music was playing. The first thing he noticed was that the three from his dreams were sitting with the Ralads and trying to explain something. Aiden slipped his clothes back on that he noticed were waiting on the end of the bed for him, and walked out where he could greet his friends.

He pulled his flute out and started to play a lively tune that drew attention to him as honey drew bees. The younger ones joined in his tune and soon there were many crowding around him in joy. Sameth was in the crowd and he pulled Aiden into a hug, disrupting his playing, but Aiden hugged him back willingly. It seemed that was a cue though for all the children suddenly leapt on his back in a massive pile up. Once Aiden got them all off he noticed that the three non-Ralads were staring at him in confusion and amusement.

Lief walked over to him and gave him a hand to pull him to his feet, something Aiden took with gratitude. His smile was wide as he turned to see everyone and he lifted his arms high into the air in a grand greeting. The man and the girl, whose names Aiden wanted to learn, joined Lief and the man enquired to his health. Aiden gave him a thumbs-up before sitting on the edge of the fountain so he could draw in the dirt accurately.

Thanks for bringing me here. It's where I wanted to go but the wolves had other ideas. Can I ask your names?

He wrote everything using Ralad symbols, as he had noticed that that was how they were communicating with Arath before he showed up and interrupted everything.

"So you don't speak then?" the man asked as he read aloud what had been written. "My name is Barda, this is Lief and Jasmine. What's yours?"

Aiden's eyes snapped to Jasmine at hearing her name. It could have been a coincidence, but if she was Doom's daughter, he would probably want to know what she looked like. From his recollection of Anna in Doom's memory, he noted that Jasmine did look a lot like her mother, but from the stubborn set of her chin she was also just how her mother predicted, stubborn like her father. Suddenly remembering that he had also been asked a question Aiden scratched his name in the dirt.

"Aiden," Barda read out. "Where are you from Aiden? Aren't you a bit young to be traveling on your own?"

I'm sixteen and I've seen worse than hungry wolves. I hadn't counted on running into anyone so I couldn't evade them like I normally would have

"How would you normally evade wolves?" Jasmine asked after Barda translated. "You seemed to be only running."

I wanted to find a good tree. Not all trees will keep me safe from hungry animals you know. But you guys were there too and I couldn't escape and leave you guys on your own

Jasmine nodded with a smile before reaching up to pet a small animal on her shoulder. Aiden nodded at her before allowing his attention to slip back to the young Ralad children crowding around him. They were demanding he tell them everything since they had last seen him so he decided to attempt it with his flute.

A monotone, two notes repeated one after the other over and over again signified his walking. A tune started up, a happy one, to indicate his meeting of the Masked Ones, and that became even happier when he met Steven and Nevets again. The music turned dark and slow when he got up to the part where he ended up at Dread Mountain and met Gla-Thon, from there the music turned curious with the Resistance. Curious changed to happy as he found his place in the Resistance, and then danger appeared. A calming song played when he got to Tora, and then Steven returned and it was happy. For his birthday he actually played the birthday song. Then there was more walking, more running and the song he played when he announced his presence to the Ralads after waking up.

His fingers were sore and he needed to lick his lips to get feeling back into them after playing for so long, but the children were all ecstatic to have heard him play, and a better quality than he had left them with. Lief, Barda and Jasmine stared at him in amazement, though it was Jasmine who asked him why he couldn't speak. Aiden showed her his neck scar, and she went silent, her face pale in horror.

Arath chose that moment to come up to him and sketch in the dirt what the three travelers wanted to do. They wanted to go to the Lake of Tears. Aiden nodded his understanding before cocking his head to the side in obvious question as to why they wanted to go there. He already knew but he wanted to know what their story was.

"There is something there we need to fight the Shadow Lord," Barda explained. Aiden felt one eyebrow rise at the comment. It was a pretty lame story, as accurate as it was. Anyone who knew anything would be able to guess that they were after one of the Gems.

"Did the Shadow Lord do that to you?" Jasmine suddenly asked, obviously not caring about the current conversation. "Your neck I mean?"

Aiden smirked before shaking his head. He knelt down and wrote a few symbols onto the ground before standing back and letting those around him read it.

The Dark Lord did this to me, and from my perspective your Shadow Lord doesn't hold a candle to the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord is not patient, he takes what he wants, when he wants, and no one is strong enough to stop him.

As Barda finished reading it aloud Jasmine shuddered. Aiden shrugged and went back to where the children were. He knew there was a Gem at the Lake of Tears, but he wanted to see what these three could do, and why they were the ones chosen to restore the Belt of Deltora.

They left shortly afterwards, but Aiden didn't go with them. Not directly in any case, he would follow them at a distance. So it was for the next hour that he played and caught up with all his Ralad friends without any worries at all. They played music and some of the younger children taught him so new tunes that he could use to entertain others with.

However, as always, all good things come to an end and Aiden bid farewell to the Ralads and started the long walk towards the Lake of Tears.

Despite his memory telling him that it had taken three days to get from the Lake of Tears to Raladin, Aiden managed to cut that time in half and arrived the following night. He could hear voices in the distance, so he moved up to the rocks where he could watch what was happening without being seen himself. The Ralad man, Manus, started to play his flute and while everyone was preoccupied with him, only Aiden saw the waters of the lake part and Soldeen rise from its depths.

Soldeen's voice echoed across the flat plain and Aiden knew that the great monster of the lake could see him. He smiled and waved but otherwise didn't move from his position on the rocks. Soldeen demanded that Manus stay with him for eternity in return for its treasure. Aiden frowned at the demand, but admitted that being alone for so long, the sound of something other than nature was very appealing.

Obviously the group below had already been attacked by Soldeen, and were wary, they downright refused to allow Manus to stay, despite the Ralad man walking towards Soldeen quite calm. Negotiations soon became a battle and Lief was sent flying into the water. Soldeen swam after him while the others on the shore called out in despair. A gold light filled the lake, cutting off their cries and Lief returned to the surface hanging off Soldeen's side. From what Aiden could guess, the Belt of Deltora was pressed against Soldeen's side and the magic from the Belt had cleared his mind and allowed him to be more agreeable in handing over the Gem it was guiding.

A pale pink stone was in Lief's hand, and while it seemed like a victory, the hairs on the back of Aiden's neck were standing on end signifying that something wasn't right. He crouched down lower on the rocks so that he couldn't be seen and pulled his cloak up over his head as an extra precaution. The very air around them crackled with magic and Aiden was positive that his black hair was standing on end with all the static the magic was causing.

A pale thin woman appeared directly in front of him as if she had apparated there. Her dress dragged on the ground and her long grey hair swept passed her hips without care. Her fingers were long and thin, with bright red nail polish coating the nails, and on her right pinky was a small red ring. Aiden could feel the power gathering in that area and guessed that she used the ring the same way he used the bracelet. She hadn't noticed him behind her, and he planned on keeping the element of surprise.

Aiden slowly forced himself to his knees without making a sound and then he rocked back on his feet so that he was crouched and ready to spring. All he needed was the right moment to move. He pulled off his gloves and let them sit on the ground where they wouldn't be in the way. The witch used her magic to strike at Soldeen, in turn forcing Lief back into the water and the pink Gem falling from his hand. Within seconds the witch demonstrated that she was powerful by knocking back everyone with seemingly no effort. Aiden had noticed a force field around her body when she cast her spells, but that protection wasn't on her right hand.

As Lief, Barda, Jasmine and Manus crowded around each other in one convenient place, Aiden made his move. The witch lifted her hand to cast her spell, but instead of the rush of power that she normally felt, a rush of burning heat descended on her from her hand to the rest of the body. In front of her was a figure shrouded in black, with eyes the colour of an emerald, and she felt fear. Her scream echoed across the plain as her arm shriveled away to nothing.

Aiden lifted his right hand to her face, and as if he were gently caressing it, his finger trailed across the skin and his protective magic, left behind from his mother, end the life of the ancient creature before him. Her ring fell into his left hand as her arm turned to ash and he stepped back to watch his work unfold. The witch lasted mere seconds against him, but that was only because she hadn't been expecting him.

He lifted the ring so that he could inspect it before swapping it to his right hand and focusing his magic into destroying it completely. The flash of red light was all the proof that the witch was dead, and all her enchantments with her.

The Lake of Tears went still as if the land was holding its breath, before life started to appear again. The lake became a green garden, the dead rocks and trees came back to life, a small creek of pure clean water began to flow through the land and flowers sprouted everywhere. In moments the Lake of Tears was no more and a small paradise had sprung up in its place. The small animals became young people, whilst the rock in the center of the lake and Soldeen returned to their previous form of two beautiful beings with tanned skin and sun-kissed blonde hair. The woman who was the rock held a bright red gem in her hands and the man who was Soldeen had his arm wrapped around her lovingly.

Everyone was looking up at him, and Aiden knew that they couldn't recognise him from the distance they were at. He wanted to keep it that way. He stepped back away from the scene before retreating to another rock formation where he could still see what was happening, grabbing his gloves on the way. He knew what was about to happen before those below did and he raised his right arm at the same time that the second Gem was placed in the Belt of Deltora.

Ruby red light sprung forth from his wrist and once again he was the center of attention. He waved once the light was gone before turning and running back the way he had come from. His job was done.

* * *

Aiden trotted along at his own pace, whistling to himself as he moved. The land around him was coming to life as animals were returning, trees were sprouting leaves and the bushes along the side of the road were flourishing with healthy green leaves. There was still a long way to go, but the influence of the witch had ended and the land could now try to recover.

He was heading north along the Golden Way, in the hopes of meeting Doom, and had been travelling in the same direction for two days. He knew Doom intended to come the long way round following the Mountain Road before heading south along the Golden Way and then west to Rithmere. Aiden only hoped that he hadn't missed the man.

"What are you doing on your own?"

Aiden stopped walking and turned to the side where the man he was looking for was reclining on the side of the road. He grinned and went to sit next to the man, his feet tired from walking. Doom slung an arm across his shoulders and repeated the question, this time with more force. Aiden twisted in his grip and managed to place his hand on Doom's forehead again.

_I learnt something good_

"Did you now? Was it worth being on your own for?"

_Yep! Did you find your daughter?_

"I found our old house, but no one has been living there for a while," Doom admitted. "What does that have to do with what you found?"

_I think I found her. She looks like a younger version of Anna, but she has this stubborn set of her jaw that's identical to yours. And, her name is Jasmine._

"You found her?" Doom repeated in shock. "Where was she? When was this?"

_Raladin. She won't be there now but I have an idea of where she and her friends are going._

"Where?"

_Possibly to the City of the Rats, after that she'll go further west but I don't know what's particularly dangerous west of the City of the Rats._

"Why would it be danger that she's looking for?"

_To rebuild the Belt of Deltora of course._

* * *

___**Next up in Deltora's Protector:**_

_**Chapter 8 - The Rithmere Games**_


	8. The Rithmere Games

Deltora's Protector

Chapter 8 – The Rithmere Games

* * *

Previously on Deltora's Protector:

_Harry Potter was tortured for months in a prison known as the Island. During his stay he lost his voice and as such can no longer speak. A rescue attempt was made and while Harry managed to get out, it wasn't in England he returned to. He was washed ashore the western shore of Deltora and taken care of by Verity, the spirit girl of Bone Point Lighthouse. Shortly afterwards he met Steven, Nevets and Queen Bee. He was renamed Aiden and spent a few months recovering at Queen Bee's orchard. One day he snuck away to the City of the Rats and became the owner of a fine bracelet. Aiden joined Steven on his rounds and during his adventures became friends with the Ralads, a Dread Gnome, the Resistance and became an enemy of the Shadow Lord. Most recently he witnessed the rebirth of the village of D'Or and discovered that his blood protection from his mother is still active._

_His adventures have only just begun..._

* * *

Aiden was bored. Doom had ordered him to wait outside the back of Tom's shop with the horse and keep an eye out for Grey Guards. He said he wouldn't be long, but he'd been in there for ten minutes already and there was only so much that Aiden could do quietly and still keep himself occupied. Sitting on a fence and swinging his legs to random beats wasn't as entertaining as he'd imagined it to be. He considered playing his flute, but the sound of it was more than likely to alert travelers to his location.

"_Stupid humans, not watching where they're going. Who cares that I chose to lie on the side of the road? It's warm there. But no! Stupid two-legged humans concerned for no one but themselves! Should have bitten them, yes I should have. Next time I see a human I'm going to bite them!_"

Aiden looked down curiously and frowned. Slithering along the road below him was an injured black snake. It was just under a meter long and very thin. Such vulgar threats were escaping from its mouth but Aiden felt sorry for it. It looked like it had been stood on by someone heavy as its tail had been flattened. The snake paused its slithering and stared up at Aiden. The boy stared back down and tilted his head to the side curiously.

"_Who stood on you?_" he asked. The snake seemed to freeze at the sound of its own language falling from a human's lips.

"_Who are you to speak my language?_" the snake asked in reply. "_No human but the Protector may speak my language._"

"_This is the only language I can speak at the moment,_" Aiden admitted. "_A bad human took my voice from me. Now I talk with my hands or using charcoal and paper. I have to admit though; I have missed talking with my voice._"

"_You are a strange human. What are you called?_"

"_Aiden. Do you have a name?_"

"_Sion. Do you know healing? I am aware that you humans know these things._"

"_Sure. Hold still, this won't take a minute._"

Aiden slid off the fence and sat on the ground. Sion slithered closer to him and allowed Aiden to lift him. Aiden used his right hand to grasp the injury as gently as possible and sent as much healing into the injured tail as he could. A soft white light enveloped Sion's tail and a brief minute later the snake was healed.

"_Much appreciated Human Aiden. Now I don't have to bite you._"

Aiden laughed and placed Sion back on the ground. He looked back towards the shop and sighed when he realised that Doom still hadn't come out. He wondered what he could be buying. Sion lifted himself up and rested his head on Aiden's knee, attracting his attention.

"_You are an interesting human,_" he said. "_I wish to travel with you. It has been many cycles since a human speaking our language has been seen. Plus with you I may be able to bite other humans._"

Aiden laughed but regardless lifted Sion so that the snake could rest on the back of his neck. The dark colour of his scales blended in perfectly with Aiden's dark clothing. Sion hissed his approval and twisted his tail so that he looked like a scarf. Aiden stood back up and leapt onto the fence so he could see when Doom exited Tom's shop. To pass the time he started to explain to Sion everything that had happened to him, starting with his capture and imprisonment on the Island, his arrival in Deltora, and everything that had occurred leading up to where they were now. He was describing Reeah when Doom left the shop and stormed his way over to where Aiden was sitting.

"We're leaving, now."

Aiden nodded and untied the horse's reins from the fence. He waited until Doom was saddled before reaching out to be hauled up behind him. Doom did so, but it was clear to Aiden that something had upset him as he nearly ripped Aiden's arm from its socket and dropped him harshly before forcing the horse into a gallop without waiting to see if Aiden was ready. Not being able to speak, all Aiden did was bite his lip and grasp Doom's clothing tightly so that he wouldn't go flying off the back. Sion hissed several insults at the man's back, but due to the hissing being so soft, Doom didn't even notice that he had picked up another passenger.

They didn't stop until they reached the crossroads that led to the Broad River or Miller's Rise. It was only then that Doom stopped and dismounted. Aiden remained perched on the horse and watched as Doom smashed his hand into the nearest tree. He punched the tree until his hands were bleeding and only then did he stop and sit on the ground with his back against the tree.

"_Your human is insane,_" Sion explained helpfully. "_Can I bite him?_"

Aiden shook his head before jumping off the horse and walking over cautiously. In his hands was the horse's reins, not that he needed to hold it as the horse was well behaved, but he still allowed the horse to graze after the hard pace that Doom had just set her through.

"I'm sorry Aiden," Doom whispered. "Tom was serving some Grey Guards in the other room and I had to wait until they left, and then three travelers entered. They were infuriating. A man, a boy and a girl who looked familiar but I know I've never seen her before. Maybe I knew her before the Shadowlands but I've searched my memory and I can't find her."

Now that he was calm Aiden felt safe enough to walk over and communicate telepathically.

_Did you have to pull my arm from my socket? That hurt you know._

"Damn, sorry Aiden. How bad is it?"

_I'll live. But what exactly had your teeth grinding? You usually have more patience than that._

"Tom gave me some information. Seems the Shadow Lord really wants you. He doesn't know what you look like, at least I don't think so, but the Grey Guards have been instructed to either bring you to him alive, and if they can't then you are to be brought to him dead. Rumors are that he knew instantly when you arrived in Deltora, but it was only after you accepted your place here that he hunted you."

Aiden looked at his right wrist, the bracelet below covered. That must have been what tipped off the Shadow Lord to the fact that he was a danger to him. He returned it to Doom's forehead.

_Fair enough, but next time, don't take your frustrations out on me when you receive bad news. Now, I wanted to introduce you to Sion earlier but you didn't give me a chance._

Doom looked up and finally spotted the black snake around Aiden's neck. He jumped in shock before looking closer and paling. He asked the boy if he knew what type of snake he had resting around his neck. Aiden shook his head but nonetheless reached up to scratch Sion's scales.

"That's a Pinwheel Viper. They change colour depending on their surroundings and they are extremely venomous. People generally avoid those snakes. Why is it sitting on your neck?"

Aiden looked down at Sion and the small snake stretched his tongue to lick his cheek. He commented that Doom was very suspicious and was more than likely to cut his head off when they slept.

"_I won't let anyone cut you head off,_" Aiden hissed back, noticing Doom jump in shock again and stare at him incredulously.

"You can speak?"

_Only to serpents,_ Aiden said to him telepathically. _Something about how my throat changes to accommodate the hissing. It was hard a few months ago but the honey helps. I hope that I will be able to speak in English soon. Right now it's just a dry rasp._

"Right," Doom whispered. "Anything else that you've been hiding from me?"

Aiden thought for a moment before shaking his head with a small smile. He had been dreading Doom's reaction to parseltongue for the sole reason that his friends had reacted badly. All Doom did however was accept it and lead them deeper into the trees so that they couldn't be seen from the road. Aiden used his magic to heal Doom's hands and Sion slithered around on the ground hunting for food. They were eating lunch when the sound of voices carried over to where they were.

"Broad River! That's the river on which the City of the Rats stands! Why, what a piece of good fortune!"

Aiden froze with a piece of bread halfway to his mouth. He recognised the voice. It was Lief from the Lake of Tears. That meant that Barda and Jasmine were with him too.

"Lief, what are you doing?" this was Jasmine. "We must take the left-hand path. Remember what the man Tom said."

"Don't you see, Jasmine? Tom would never have dreamed that we would go willingly to the City of the Rats," that was Lief again. "So of course he warned us against this path. But, as it happens, it is the very path we want. Come on!"

The voices faded away as they traveled down the path to Broad River. Aiden shook his head and Doom frowned. He explained that the voices sounded like the ones of the three travelers from Tom's Shop. Aiden nodded and informed the man that the girl was Jasmine who he had met in Raladin. Doom swore at that before declaring that lunch was over. Aiden called Sion over and soon they were once again on the horse expect this time they were traveling down the path leading to the Broad River.

Aiden figured that Doom wanted to catch up to them, but the further they travelled the more obvious it became that Lief, Barda and Jasmine had acquired mounts of some description as they were far from sight. Doom frowned but slowed their pace with a sigh. Aiden felt sorry for him. He was searching for his daughter but so far the only time he'd seen her was when he didn't know who she was. It had to be maddeningly frustrating for a man who had little patience.

It was mid-afternoon when Aiden noticed something lying on the road. He alerted Doom to it and the man dismounted to investigate. It appeared to be an old necklace as the thread was faded and seemed to have snapped. Doom held it up and ran his fingers over the pendant with a confused frown on his face.

"This belonged to Anna," Doom finally muttered. "I remember…it belonged to her mother and she gave it to Jasmine a few days before the Grey Guards found us. I can't believe she kept it."

Aiden smiled, it was good that Doom was remembering more on his own. It meant that he was healing. Doom got back on the horse and they continued traveling southwest. The leader of the Resistance told his passenger that they would be stopping at Queen Bee's orchard for a day or so to grab some more supplies, and then after that they would be heading straight to Rithmere. Aiden smiled happily, looking forward to introducing his surrogate mother to Sion. He also wanted to see if he could get back to the City of the Rats to see Reeah, but doubted that Doom or Bee would let him out of their sight.

As the sun was setting they came in sight of the orchard, and upon seeing who was intruding on her land, Queen Bee ordered them inside and made them a large dinner before sending them both to bed. Throughout the whole night Doom had a stunned look on his face, obviously never having been treated to the whole "mothering" welcome on his past visits. Bee had taken Sion's presence as easily as she took everything else about Aiden, and had even inquired as to the snake's favourite food so that she could serve him as well. Sion declared later that as far as humans went, Bee was among the best he had ever had the misfortune to meet.

Aiden only laughed.

They stayed for another day, to rest and update Bee on everything that had happened to them since she had last seen them. She was particularly horrified to hear of the events of the Lake of Tears, but Aiden could also tell that she was pleased to hear that the Belt was returning to its completed form.

So it wasn't until midafternoon the day after that the two travelers were allowed to leave the orchard and begin their journey to Rithmere. Aiden played his flute on the journey, the two of them agreeing to playing the part of father and son on their way to finding their fortune. As they were still a few days out of Rithmere, Doom had them set up camp as the sun was setting, lighting a fire and pulling out their blankets while Aiden set to work on cooking something edible.

Aiden had the first watch so while Doom lay down, closed his eyes and to all appearances fell asleep, he wrapped his blanket around himself and shimmied up a tree for a good view of the surrounding land. He was to wake Doom at midnight, so to occupy the time he drew some abstract pictures of the land. Looking at it later he firmly decided that he would never be an artist.

One thing of importance did happen however, and that was just before Doom was to be woken for his watch. He had at most a second of warning before his bracelet lit up to signify that another gem had made its way home. Aiden had thrust his wrist into his jacket and only a faint glow managed to escape.

It was still enough to wake Doom and for the next half hour the two of them spoke about where the trio would end up next. Doom firmly believed that they were heading to the Shifting Sands, and it took Aiden a while to convince him to let them be. If they saw them they would help out, but returning the gems to the Belt was their job.

Dain was waiting for them on the outskirts of Rithmere, and Aiden thought he looked a little disgruntled at being left out of whatever Aiden and Doom had been doing. Aiden couldn't help but smirk as that thought crossed his mind and turned so that Dain couldn't see his face. Doom however, greeted the boy happily enough and asked how long he had been waiting there.

"I was here a few days ago," Dain replied. "I thought I had missed you but when there was no sign of you I decided to wait here. I'm glad you came through today though, tomorrow I would have been at the other entrance in case you decided to come from the north. What have you two been doing?"

"I'm not going to discuss business here Dain," Doom remarked with a frown.

"Of course, of course. I was just curious. You've been gone for a while. The games are in a few days and I wasn't sure that you'd be here in time."

"Well we're here now, and if you insist on coming with us you will be masquerading as my oldest son. Aiden here will be my youngest. Any objections?"

"No…dad," Dain said with a slight hesitation and then a smirk. Doom sighed in dismay, but when Aiden leant around him to look at his face he saw there was a slight smile. Shaking his head Aiden returned to his seat and looked down at Dain. As they had to pretend to be brothers Aiden quickly scribbled a message on his note book and chucked the paper at Dain. The older boy unfolded it in confusion before his eyes widened at he looked up at Aiden in shock.

"For real?" he asked. "What the hell were you thinking when you picked that up?"

Aiden's message had briefly introduced Sion and labeled him as a friendly Pinwheel Viper. With a smile he gently pulled Sion from his neck and held him out, as if he were a young child excited to show his older brother something fascinating he had recently discovered. Dain refused to hold the snake, much to Doom's amusement.

The three of them continued into Rithmere, with Dain as their guide. They were to book into the Champion Inn, but beyond that Aiden had no idea how Doom was to get both him and Dain in without listing them as competitors. He asked Doom via his notebook.

"I'll deal with that when the time comes."

I'll compete if you can only house one of us for "free"

"Not an option Aiden. Leave it to me."

Aiden shrugged and returned his notebook to his pocket. While he hadn't shown himself as a fighter, rather more like a scared child who needed to be protected, he did have experience in fighting for his life. Chances were that Dain would be the one who could compete, even if he intended to get kicked out in the first round or so. Unless Dain wanted to get to the finals to prove himself. Aiden furrowed his brow, there was no way that Dain would allow himself to be kicked out before the finals.

"Here we are," Dain suddenly declared. "The Champion Inn. I spoke with the Keeper, Mother Brightly, a few days ago and she said that she'd expect you. She appeared to be fairly firm, but quite friendly. She should allow you to keep your 'sons' with you, free of charge."

Aiden chuckled at the explanation, but didn't resist when Doom yanked him off the horse. A small boy appeared from around the side of the building, and took the horse and the silver coin tip that Doom threw into the air. The boy grinned and disappeared again, this time with their horse. Aiden held their bags and followed Doom like the dutiful son and stared wide-eyed at the woman who could only be Mother Brightly.

"Good day!" she cried. "I am Mother Brightly. I see young Dain has returned, does this mean you are competitors in the Rithmere Games?"

"I will be, but I was wondering if I could have my two sons stay with me and not compete? I need the money to make sure that they'll be looked after, but I don't want to worry about them when I'm supposed to be fighting."

Mother Brightly bit her lip unsure. Dain remained impassive, but Aiden decided he'd put his apparently young and cute appearance to good use. He smiled at the woman, who reminded him of Molly Weasley in her demeanor. He pressed himself closer to Doom's side and had to restrain himself from laughing when her expression mellowed and she smiled back at him. Her gaze flickered back to Doom and she sighed.

"I can let one of your sons stay here without competing, but the other must either compete or find somewhere else to stay. If I allowed everyone to let their children stay here for free I'd be out of money by the end of the day."

Doom frowned before looking down at Aiden on his right and Dain on his left thoughtfully. Aiden looked up at him innocently, whereas Dain just stared at him in anticipation. Dain had contributed to the plan, however he was an able fighter and wouldn't be hurt badly in the Games. Aiden on the other hand hadn't been interested in the planning but was quick to adapt to any situations.

"May I talk it over with my sons?" Doom asked eventually. Mother Brightly nodded with an indulging smile and Doom pulled the two boys back out of ear shot. He knelt down so that he was close to them and asked who wanted to fight. Aiden remained silent, having already given Doom his decision, but Dain wasted no time in volunteering himself.

"You've seen me fight, you know I can handle myself, and I look a bit more intimidating than Aiden, no offence."

Aiden shrugged but didn't disagree. Dain did have more of a presence at the moment.

"I know I could make it to the finals before bailing out, and then I can sit with Aiden in the audience when the semifinals and finals are on. We can watch you kick their butts."

At the thought of sitting in the audience Aiden baulked. Sitting in a crowded arena with people who probably would be drunk on cider was not something that appealed to him. Doom watched Aiden's expression curiously, before nodding decisively.

"Dain, you'll fight," he whispered. "Aiden, I want you to gather information. Maybe you could offer to help Mother Brightly, she seems knowledgeable."

Both boys nodded, one happily and the other with a frown, but neither said another word as Doom announced his decision to Mother Brightly. The woman smiled, and as he looked at her Aiden thought he saw a flicker or relief cross her features before it was masked again. She took down Doom and Dain's names, and their home town. The two of them were then measured, while Aiden stood to the side and watched. Doom was put under the STRENGTH category, and Dain was put under the SPEED category. Mother Brightly disappeared briefly, but when she returned she had three coloured strips of cloth – a red, a green and a black. Doom got to wear the red one, Dain the green one and Aiden got the black one, much to his surprise. There was no writing on it, but it clearly marked him as being welcome in the Inn.

Doom handed over a handful of silver coins and in return he received a key labeled with the number 28. Mother Brightly explained that it was the key to their room and that they shouldn't lose it. Doom thanked her and gestured to the two boys to follow him.

Mother Brightly led them to the mess hall and it was with a grin that Dain fell upon the food on display. Aiden chuckled but he turned to Mother Brightly with a smile and a bow before following his "brother". Doom watched the two of them leave with a shake of his head before also turning to Mother Brightly. He lowered his voice as he didn't want to alert the other competitors to what he was discussing.

"Mother Brightly, whilst Dain and I are training for the Games, would you be able to watch over Aiden? He is quiet, and he won't get in the way, but he will able to help you in fetching whatever you need. I originally planned on him and Dain being able to look out for each other, but with Dain competing, I want to make sure that he will make it to the finals."

"Not a problem," Mother Brightly said with a broad grin. "Such a darling boy, just send him to the front when he wakes and I'll make sure that nothing happens to him."

Doom thanked her and followed after the two boys. Aiden would be fine, and he would be able to drill Dain in with the new plan. The Games would be in a few days, so there was time, for now he planned on eating his fill before going to bed. Tomorrow would be a long day.

* * *

Aiden watched as Doom and Dain disappeared to the training grounds. He wished he was going with them, but he also knew that he would be bored out of his brain. He supposed that that was one of the reasons why he was to spend the day with Mother Brightly.

"Good morning dear."

Aiden turned around and smiled upon seeing the woman he was to spend the day with. She returned his smile and gestured for him to follow her, something he did willingly enough. She explained how she ran the Inn on her own, mentioning that the only other workers here were the three cooks. He was to help her when new competitors arrived, jotting down notes for her and grabbing the coloured cloths that would mark them as competitors. When business was quiet he was to wait out the front and ring the bell if anyone arrived. The jobs were easy enough and for the next two days Aiden was often seen with Mother Brightly.

He explained to her why he didn't speak, showing her his scar, and introducing her to Sion after the snake startled her so much that she dropped the bundles of papers she was carrying at the time. That had been interesting to explain, but afterwards she was confident that he wouldn't get into any trouble as all Sion had to do was rear his head and everyone would fall back away from him.

The only time Aiden saw Doom and Dain was after dinner when the both of them were too exhausted to do much but fall asleep. Aiden wrote down the information he'd gathered from Mother Brightly and other competitors, conversations that they hadn't realised he was listening to, and after Doom read it he burned it so that the others couldn't read it as well.

The day before the Games Aiden found himself sitting at the front desk, swinging his legs and banging his feet against the wooden sides. Sion was explaining the hierarchy of snakes, in terms that a human could understand, when three familiar figures walked through the door.

"Aiden!"

Aiden looked up and smiled at seeing Lief, Barda and Jasmine. He waved before ringing the bell behind him so that Mother Brightly would come to sign them up for the Games.

"What are you doing here?" Lief asked.

Working. My dad and brother are training to compete, but dad didn't want me to fight so I'm working for Mother Brightly

"Who?" Jasmine asked after having read the brief explanation.

"Good day!" Mother Brightly suddenly greeted as she came out from the corridor leading to the mess hall. "I am Mother Brightly, your hostess. I see you've met Aiden, such a darling boy he is. But please forgive me, before I welcome you here properly I must ask if you are competitors in the Games."

Aiden blushed at the praise, much to Jasmine's amusement. Barda stepped forward with a smile at Mother Brightly and answered her question.

"We wish to be," he said. "But we are strangers in these parts, and do not know how to enter."

"Why, then you have come to the right place!" Mother Brightly beamed. "This is the official Games inn. Here you can register as competitors, and stay until the Games begin tomorrow."

Aiden ducked behind the desk to grab the official papers that Mother Brightly filled in every time another competitor arrived. The trio and Mother Brightly discussed price and it was only when Aiden pushed the papers across the desk that they stopped and Mother Brightly beamed at him. She asked for the name and home town of the three. Aiden nearly choked on his laughter when he realised that they wanted to give false names and hadn't thought about it before. Mother Brightly was waiting expectantly, one eyebrow raised.

"Ah…my name is – Berry. Of Bushtown," Barda stammered, his cheeks going red.

"I have not heard of Bushtown before," Mother Brightly admitted.

"It is – to the north," Barda answered. "My friends – Birdie and – and Twig – are also from there."

Mother Brightly accepted that and gestured for them all to follow her, leaving Aiden behind to man the desk again. It was only when they were gone that Aiden started to laugh. It sounded painful, but it was a sign that his throat was healing. He explained to Sion why he found the situation so amusing, and promised himself that he would meet up with them later to find out how they had been. He knew Doom would be excited that his daughter would be staying in the same Inn as he was.

When she returned Mother Brightly ordered him to go and find his father and that when the Games started in the morning he was to sit beside her. Aiden agreed with her and scurried off to where Doom and Dain would be waiting. He found them in the mess hall and with a smile he claimed the seat next to them and smiled mysteriously. Dain took the bait first and asked what had put him in such a good mood. He was moody as Doom had been working him hard so that he could make it to the finals. Aiden wrote two words on a serviette and pushed it in front of Doom.

She's here

Doom looked up sharply and his eyes darted around the room looking for three people he had only met once before. Aiden sighed before grabbing his plate and strolling over to where the three were eating. They jumped when he appeared, but now that he was here Doom would know where his daughter was.

"Aiden!" Jasmine exclaimed happily. "How have you been?"

Aiden grinned and started to eat. In one hand he had his charcoal and was scribbling some questions so that they could answer while he ate. He pushed it towards Barda.

"Well, they were the first names that popped into my head," Barda admitted sheepishly. "I hadn't actually thought about false names before. It took me by surprise. As to what we're doing here, well we're short on money so we thought we'd compete. What we didn't realise was that it would be a fight. Nothing to it I suppose, we'll see how we go. Now for you, who were you sitting with before?"

My dad and older brother

"Is that a snake on your neck?" Jasmine asked suddenly, ignoring the note.

His name's Sion, met him on my way back from Raladin. He was hurt so I decided to take care of him

Barda and Lief edged away once they spotted the little snake, Barda paling upon recognising what type of snake it was and Lief clearly disliking snakes in general. Aiden fed his snake a bit of chicken from his plate, and Sion told him once he had eaten it that he never wanted to eat cooked meat again. The boy laughed and finished his plate. He bid goodnight to the trio before sitting next to Doom again. The man ruffled his hair, staring at the trio with curious eyes.

The only one who would look at him was Jasmine, the other two returning their attention to the table where they wouldn't have to look at the other competitors. Doom nodded once before turning back to his "sons".

"Bed you two, I have something I want to do first."

Aiden nodded and disappeared. Dain followed at a slower pace, clearly having no idea what had just transpired, but following orders all the same. He asked Aiden what he'd be doing when the Games were on and Aiden mimed sleeping with a smile. Dain laughed and gently threw his arm around the smaller boy's shoulders. Aiden tensed at first but joined in the laughter as they went inside their room. The two of them crawled into bed, eager for what the morning would bring, and it was only later that Aiden realised he hadn't heard Doom enter until it was late.

* * *

_You knew that she could fight, why would you try to stop her and her friends from competing?_

The question was posed telepathically as Aiden wrapped a bandage around the neck wound before a scarf was tied on above it. The wound hit a little close to home for him, having his own scar to remind him of the pain, but he ignored it in making sure that Doom would be able to fight.

"Say I was worried or something," Doom muttered. "Something is going on with these Games and I don't want her to be in the middle of it. I didn't expect her to have a knife though. All her weapons were supposed to have gone with Mother Brightly."

_Like yours were?_

Aiden shook his head with a sigh and stepped back. Dain was in the bathroom getting ready so there conversation wasn't to be interrupted. Doom twisted his neck to check its maneuverability before nodding. He called for Dain and the three of them went to breakfast. Aiden wished them luck and went off to see Mother Brightly and find out if he was doing anything when the competitions were on, or if he was just watching the proceedings.

As they were walking to the arena, Mother Brightly suddenly gasped and Aiden followed her gaze to the Inn and one of the top windows. A white bed-sheet was blowing in the wind, tied up to the bars on the window. Mother Brightly instructed Aiden to continue on to the Opening Ceremony as it was always nice to watch while she went to see what was going on in her Inn. Aiden sighed as she left, knowing what Doom had done, but nonetheless continued on to the arena and stood in the shadows where he wouldn't be noticed.

Music played an one by the competitors came out onto the field where they were treated to the applause of what had to be every single person in Rithmere. The arena was packed and it was with a frown that he noticed the crowd was drinking cider. He had tried it before, and while it provided a lot of energy, it was supposed to be a drink for fighters or athletes, not bystanders in a crowd. He could see tempers running hot by the end of the day.

Near the end of the ceremony Mother Brightly called for him and he retreated with her to what had to be a makeshift infirmary. Mother Brightly explained that those who were injured in the fights would come here and once they were recovered they would go home or stay to watch the finalists compete. Aiden was to help her in any way that he could.

He was soon expected to pull his weight too as defeated competitor after defeated competitor was brought to them, some unconscious, some with concussions and some with broken bones. Those who won only had a few minutes rest before returning the arena for their next battle. Aiden was just glad that weapons were banned, human beings could do enough damage with their fists as it was.

By the time the sun was setting Aiden and Mother Brightly had assisted one hundred and forty-two former contestants. Only eight remained, Doom, Lief, Barda, Jasmine, a couple by the names of Joanna and Orwen, a short, muscular man named Glock and a woman named Neridah. Dain had been concussed by Lief in the last match when he forgot to duck and was kicked in the head. Aiden was by his side when he woke up and had the names of the finalists written down for him to read, he had written the fake names of Lief, Barda and Jasmine as Dain wasn't privy to that information just yet. Still dizzy, Dain followed Aiden to where Mother Brightly was talking with the finalists. Since they weren't a part of the finalists, they weren't allowed to eat with them, but since Aiden had become Mother Brightly's helper he was allowed in the kitchens so that was where he pulled Dain. Once they were done eating they returned to their room and congratulated Doom on his performance.

The following day was when their plan was to go into action. Doom would compete in the semifinals as planned, but then Aiden would appear with some drugged cider for everyone but Doom and whoever he chose to compete with, their cider would be normal. Once the final battle was over the three of them would disappear and watch what the other finalists and winner did with their gold. Aiden hoped it worked.

When the finalists walked into the arena the next morning, Aiden went to stand with Mother Brightly while Dain went to sit in the stands. The eight finalists were split into pairs and as soon as the bell rang all of them were attacking each other. Aiden clasped his hands in front of him, having not watched the battles the day before he didn't have preconceived notions about what to expect. For lack of a better word it was a bloodbath. No weapons, thankfully, but Aiden was thankful that he wasn't in the fights before him.

Barda was facing Doom, and Aiden couldn't help but feel sorry for Barda. Doom was better, just, but it was Barda's sudden lapse in concentration that gave Doom the victory. Lief had been paired with Neridah, and was having his butt kicked by the attractive girl. Aiden sighed at that, all a girl had to do was bat her eyelashes, say something insecure, and the boy wouldn't have the strength of mind to deny her anything. It was disgusting…but a great battle tactic as it clearly worked on Lief. Any other competitor and Aiden doubted it would work.

Glock was fighting against Joanna, and winning easily. It was almost painful to watch, so Aiden turned his gaze to the last pair of Jasmine and Orwen. Except they weren't fighting either. Orwen, hearing the crowd cheer for Glock, had turned around and abandoned his own fight in preference of avenging his partner's defeat. Aiden's eyes widened at the fury that was obvious in evident in Orwen's movements. He tore into Glock like a madman, and as soon as Glock was down he cradled Joanna in his arms. He didn't see Glock stand again…but the crowd did. Orwen was unconscious before he realised that his partner's opponent was coming for him. Jasmine was left standing on her own, victor by default.

"That was interesting," Mother Brightly declared. "Come Aiden, let's grab those who were defeated. If you start healing them I'll take out some refreshments for the final four."

Aiden shook his head and offered to do it. He wrote that she had more experience with injuries and he wanted to see how his dad was doing with his own eyes. Mother Brightly allowed him to so he went to the kitchens to grab four mugs of Queen Bee Cider. Into two he poured a vial of concentrated sleeping draught. It wouldn't harm those who drank it, only knock them out for a while.

Out of the four who were left, Aiden imagined that Doom wanted to fight Glock, so as he came into the arena he passed the two good mugs to Doom and Glock and the drugged mugs to Jasmine and Neridah. They all took the mugs meant for them, except Jasmine who merely smiled at him and said she disliked the cider. Aiden smiled back with the intention to take her mug back to the kitchens, but Glock took it from him first and downed it in one gulp. Aiden looked at Doom quickly in horror before Neridah dropped to the ground unconscious.

"Poison!" Glock gasped in anger. He pointed at Aiden with murder on his face before collapsing to the ground. Aiden backed away and dropped the tray. He decided that it was time to see if his acting was up to scratch. His eyes went wide in horror and fear, shaking his head in denial, he ran back to where Mother Brightly was, acting every bit the scared little boy she saw him as.

"What happened Aiden?" she asked, holding his shoulders. "Calm down, here's some paper. I want you to take a deep breath and write down what happened. Can you do that for me?"

Aiden took a deep breath and shakily reached for the paper and charcoal. At times like this he wished that he could speak like a normal person. He made his handwriting shaky, but legible, and kept looking over his shoulder to where the Games were being held.

I grabbed the mugs from the kitchen, they were sitting there waiting for me so I assumed that they knew what I wanted. The cooks ignored me so I grabbed the tray and handed out the mugs. I gave dad his first, and then Glock cause he was demanding some. He was angry. And then I gave some to Neridah and Birdie. Birdie didn't want hers so Glock took it and then Neridah collapsed and Glock declared poison, but dad was fine. What if someone didn't want the last match to go ahead? What if dad was poisoned too but since he had only one cup he was merely weakened, and then Glock had two so he dropped quickly. And Neridah is so small. What if a contestant last year wanted revenge for losing this year and took it out on all of the finalists?

Mother Brightly took the paper from him and held him to her side whilst he kept staring at the arena. Glock and Neridah were being carried in, but it seemed that Doom and Jasmine were still out in the arena and would be fighting as planned. Aiden hoped his story would work, and by bringing up memories of his time on the Island he was able to make his body shake in fear to authenticate his feelings.

"Oh dear," Mother Brightly suddenly stated. "This is not your fault Aiden, do you hear me? Calm down, I will have someone look into this and I will look at Glock and Neridah right now, alright? I want you to come with me, if someone is looking to have revenge on this establishment, you would be an easy target. Stay by my side until your father is finished fighting alright? And if he was poisoned like the others were then I will hunt down whoever did it and show them why they should never go behind Mother Brightly's back!"

Aiden nodded and made an attempt at a smile. She obviously bought his story so he followed her to the infirmary where Orwen, Joanna, Lief and Barda were already resting. Glock and Neridah were put down on the cots nearby and Aiden hovered at Mother Brightly's shoulder whilst she declared them healthy.

"Looks like someone tried to kill them by slowing down their organs," Mother Brightly whispered. "But they didn't have the concentration right, or the cider negated some of its affects as the cider is supposed to energize the drinker. I want to keep them here until they wake up, make sure there are no lasting effects, but otherwise I will say that they will be fine."

Aiden gave a visible sigh of relief and sat down in the nearest chair. Mother Brightly placed her hand on his shoulder and he looked up at her curiously.

"Your father will be fine. Why don't you wait here and I'll bring him in as soon as the fight is over. Sound alright?"

Aiden nodded and pulled his knees to his chest. With his chin on his knees he gazed at the sleeping forms of Glock and Neridah, and let his mind wonder to the fight happening in the arena. Father versus daughter, who would win? Would Doom deliberately lose so that their plan would still be able to work, or would he defeat Jasmine so that she wouldn't be a bigger target for whatever ulterior plan was underway?

Twenty minutes later Doom was carried into the infirmary unconscious as Birdie's name was being shouted by every audience member. Aiden sat at Doom's side the second that he was set down, only vaguely seeing Mother Brightly's nod, before she too disappeared. Aiden tapped Doom's wrist in a basic three count beat, before Doom cracked open an eyelid.

"Coast clear?" he whispered. Aiden nodded, continuing his tapping. Doom opened his eyes completely before sitting up with a groan. Aiden frowned as he rubbed his chest.

"She can definitely take care of herself," Doom muttered. "That really hurt."

"You're awake!"

Both Aiden and Doom turned to look at Mother Brightly as she returned to the infirmary. She smiled at the two of them, taking in Aiden's frowning face and Doom's pained expression.

"I don't mean to belittle your performance, but were you feeling tired in that fight?" she continued. "Glock and Neridah are still unconscious, but Glock drank twice as much as you and Neridah is half your size. The poison may not have been as potent for you."

"I felt sluggish before the fight," Doom answered carefully. "But I forgot about it as the fight continued. I will admit that I didn't move fast enough to block that last attack though. I blinked and her feet were coming right at me."

"Slowed reaction time," Mother Brightly murmured. "You're lucky you didn't pass out as well. I'm going to have a full investigation around this poisoning attempt. Poor Aiden was particularly distressed, worried about how you were coping and all that. I kept him here in case whoever was behind the attempt took it out on Aiden because it failed, or that one of the audience members would attack him for denying them a fight."

"I think it best that we go then" Doom muttered. "Thank you for taking care of Aiden Mother Brightly, but if the spectators are allowed to think about the denied last fight, they may still come after Aiden. I don't want that to happen."

"Your hundred gold coins?" Mother Brightly asked. "I can grab them now and you can be gone as soon as you're ready. If I see your other son I'll send him down."

"Thank you Mother Brightly," Doom said with a bow of his head. The woman disappeared again and Doom turned his attention to the boy by his side. "It appears that you have a wonderful story to tell me. Grab your things and we'll go."

Aiden nodded and grabbed his bag that was sitting by the door to the infirmary. Doom shook his head before standing and walking over to where Mother Brightly had gone. As he left Jasmine walked into the infirmary, spotted him and changed her direction to him instead of her companions.

"What happened Aiden?" she asked. "Why did the others collapse?"

Aiden grabbed a bit of paper and scribbled an abridged version of what he'd written to Mother Brightly.

The mugs had a poison in them that slowed down the body's organs to kill the drinker. But since it was in the cider the effects were minimized. Neridah is so small that it affected her straight away, and Glock had two mugs so he felt the effects quicker than dad did. Dad fought you and with his blood pumping around his body he was able to ignore the affects. That's what Mother Brightly figured anyway. Dad's grabbing his finalist money and then we're leaving.

"Doom's your dad?" Jasmine asked as she read over everything. Aiden's lips twitched towards a smile at the first question that popped into her head. Jasmine continued, ignoring his expression. "Poisoned cider, makes sense. But why attack the finalists?"

"Aiden thinks it could be someone who lost last year, and is taking revenge, but I think it could be one of the competitors from yesterday who didn't get very far. Aiden, your father is waiting for you at the entrance."

Jasmine and Aiden turned to see Mother Brightly, and Aiden quickly hugged the woman who had looked after him before and during the Games. Mother Brightly laughed and pushed him away. She wished him luck and he waved to her and Jasmine before disappearing. Time to watch what was to happen next.

* * *

_**Next up in Deltora's Protector:**_

_**Chapter 9 - I Can Fly!**_


	9. I Can Fly!

Deltora's Protector

Chapter 9 – I Can Fly!

* * *

Previously on Deltora's Protector:

_Harry Potter was tortured for months in a prison known as the Island. During his stay he lost his voice and as such can no longer speak. A rescue attempt was made and while Harry managed to get out, it wasn't in England he returned to. He was washed ashore the western shore of Deltora and taken care of by Verity, the spirit girl of Bone Point Lighthouse. Shortly afterwards he met Steven, Nevets and Queen Bee. He was renamed Aiden and spent a few months recovering at Queen Bee's orchard. One day he snuck away to the City of the Rats and became the owner of a fine bracelet. Aiden joined Steven on his rounds and during his adventures became friends with the Ralads, a Dread Gnome, the Resistance and became an enemy of the Shadow Lord. He witnessed the rebirth of the village of D'Or and discovered that his blood protection from his mother is still active. Most recently he was a part of the Resistance's investigation to learn what became of the finalists in the Rithmere Games._

_His adventures have only just begun..._

* * *

Aiden was bored. He, Dain and Doom were waiting on the outskirts of Rithmere for the other finalists to make an appearance, and had been waiting for close on four hours. Aiden was sitting in a tree so that he wouldn't bother anyone and was whispering to Sion about their current mission so that the snake would be aware of what was going on. He was high up enough that his soft whispers didn't disturb the two waiting below, but also near enough that he would be able to hear any orders that were given out.

Once this mission was complete Aiden was going to make his way back to the orchard and visit his surrogate mother who worried about him more than she did her own sons, Steven and Nevets. He also wanted to work more on his animagus transformation, now more than ever he wished to fly above everything without being noticed. He would be able to follow the Grey Guards practically invisible and then they wouldn't have to be waiting here in the dark to see what the Shadow Lord's plan was.

It wasn't yet dark, but Doom didn't think that the Shadow Lord's minions would wait until dark to attack, and both Dain and Aiden agreed with him. It didn't make waiting any easier though.

As the five hour mark came closer, what they had been waiting for arrived. A small cart bearing two Grey Guards casually left Rithmere and in the back of the cart were three sacks. Aiden wouldn't have thought anything of it, if it hadn't been for the raven flying above it. He directed Doom's attention to the black bird and the three of them began to follow the cart, keeping to the shadows of the trees and at a distance so that their scent wouldn't be caught. Aiden kept to the trees, leaping silently from branch to branch, but staying above Dain and Doom. He felt like a monkey and reveled in the feeling of flying through the air before landing on the next tree branch.

As the sun started to set the clouds that had been threatening rain finally opened up and drenched the ground. It was the rain that finally forced the Grey Guards to stop so that their prisoners could be sheltered. Aiden scurried down the tree as Doom ordered Dain to return to Rithmere to keep an eye on the other finalists. He also had Aiden grab the prisoner's belongings while he freed the three.

The two boys agreed to the plan and Aiden disappeared further into the trees to go around the camped group. The two Grey Guards were under the cart, dry from the rain, and every now and then snores would echo up to Aiden's hiding place. He shook his head with a sign before sliding down and carefully pulling the packs and weapons from the cart. It took a while to do quietly, and across the clearing he could see Barda, Lief and Jasmine sleeping uneasily. Behind them he spotted Doom's shadow, and mentally asked the man to be quick so that they could get away. The packs were heavy, but after he cast a feather-light charm at them he was easily able to carry them to a small cave that Doom had picked out earlier to escape to. Doom had managed to beat him to the cave, so Aiden quickly removed the charm so that the man could help him put everything down without damaging anything.

Doom dropped a dry blanket over his head so that he could rid himself of the chill that he no doubt had gotten from running in the rain. Aiden thanked him with a smile before pulling the blanket closer around his thin shoulders. Aiden sketched a sentence in the dirt of the cave asking if Doom had a blanket of his own to dry off with.

"You were in the rain longer than I was," Doom explained ignoring the scowl that appeared on Aiden's face at his answer. "Plus you're too skinny."

The other three laughed as Aiden sighed and pulled the blanket tighter. They would be leaving soon and he was cold. There was no doubt that he was much more comfortable in warm places out of the rain. Doom stared at him knowingly for a few more moments before turning back to their guests. They all started to thank them both but Doom brushed aside their gratitude with a negligent wave of his hand.

"Listen carefully," he said. "We have little time. I am the leader of a group sworn to resist the Shadow Lord. We have been suspicious of the Games for some time – certain that they were not all they seemed. Our purpose there was to see what was happening, from the inside. Your presence upset my plans. I tried to scare you off–"

"It was you who locked us in our room!" Lief interrupted with a glare. "You who attacked us!"

"Yes," Doom admitted with a nod while Aiden shook his head in amusement. "I was trying to stop you from competing, to protect you. Aiden didn't agree with my plan so stop glaring at him. He was all for letting you compete."

"Why?" Barda asked.

"Why was I trying to protect you? Or why was Aiden supporting you?"

"Both."

"I've been hearing whispers wherever I go about three travelers – a man, a boy and a wild girl, accompanied by a black bird. Wherever these travelers go, it is said, part of the Shadow Lord's evil is undone."

Lief and Barda looked at each other in concern and slight fear. Jasmine had no such insecurities and was still watching Doom and Aiden. Aiden was, to all appearances, ignoring what was going on around him, but Doom was watching everything.

"Aiden supported you because in general he's a good judge of character and has witnessed your ability to take care of yourselves. He hasn't told me the story in detail so cease your worrying. You three fall into a group of about seven people who Aiden trusts. If anything happens to you I know he'll be devastated and I didn't want him to have to go through losing people again."

With that declaration Aiden deliberately looked away, outside the cave, and watched the rain. Steven had told Doom his life story before leaving him in the man's care, but that didn't mean that Aiden wanted everyone to know his story. Steven, Nevets, Bee and Doom were amongst the people in Deltora he trusted, Lief, Barda and Jasmine weren't there yet but their quest was important and they would only succeed if they had the support of Deltora.

"You allowed us to be captured!" Jasmine accused Doom once he was done talking. "You left after the finals, but you didn't truly leave. You hid, and watched, and did not lift a hand to help us."

"I had no choice," Doom said with a shrug. "Aiden played his part well and fell under the radar of Mother Brightly. She wouldn't have let harm come to him so I played the part of a worried father and got him and Dain out. Dain's waiting for the others so that we can rescue them, as much as I don't want to, but we still needed to know how the plan worked. I had intended that animal Glock to be proclaimed Champion, and suffer whatever fate was in store for him. But he took the drugged drink intended for you, girl, and instead of losing to him, as I had planned, I had to find a way of pretending to lose to you."

"You played your part well," Jasmine stated coldly. "Both of you. I could have sworn that you, Doom, _did_ lose. Or am I mistaken that in thinking you hit your head on the wall, and slid down it almost unconscious? And you Aiden, you tried to drug me and then placed the blame on someone else. How could you play along with such an act? Someone could have been seriously hurt!"

Aiden shrank down slightly under her accusations before straightening his shoulders and turning his back on her. He didn't need to explain his actions to her, just as she didn't need to explain her actions to him. Doom snapped at her coldly, but Aiden didn't want to hear any more and walked outside where he would be able to wait in relative silence.

Several minutes later Doom joined him and then they were walking away, back towards Rithmere so they could catch up with Dain. They didn't speak, but they didn't have to. Lief, Barda and Jasmine were making their way to the Shifting Sands, whether they were successful in their quest or not would be made obvious in the next few days. Aiden would make sure that his bracelet was covered properly so that no light would escape and alert others in the vicinity.

When they finally met up with Dain he was already following the second cart that contained Neridah and Glock. Aiden knew that the two would follow Doom to the Resistance Base, they didn't have another quest that was more important, so there was no reason for them to refuse. The rain continued to fall heavily, but this cart had a cover so that didn't need to stop.

"Do you think they'll stop before reaching the Shadowlands?" Dain asked quietly. Aiden was above them in the trees, and even though he couldn't see the two below him, he knew that Doom had shaken his head. An idea popped into his head and he scurried down so that he could present it to Doom telepathically.

_The guards would stop if something more important appeared in front of them. I could lead them to the Shifting Sands and abandon them there before making my way back._

"Not a chance," Doom denied before Aiden had completed presenting his thoughts. "Not only would Nevets kill me for so much as thinking of agreeing, you are exhausted and wouldn't be able to outrun them for long."

"What idea?" Dain asked, having not understood what Aiden was proposing.

"Aiden wants to use himself as bait and lead the Guards to the Shifting Sands."

"I agree with Doom," Dain stated instantly. "No offence Aiden, but you wouldn't last long going by that plan. However, how's Sion?"

Aiden grinned and gently uncoiled the Pinwheel Viper from around his neck. The snake hissed at Dain for interrupting his nap but listened when Dain presented his idea. A grin spread across Aiden's face, and the two boys looked to Doom for approval. The man hesitated, but when he nodded Aiden scuttled back up the tree and traveled so that he was above the cart. The two Guards were grumbling about the weather and Aiden briefly wondered what snake venom would do to the Guards. Sion hissed that he was ready so Aiden dropped the snake onto one of the Guards and his scream as fangs pierced his neck was loud in the silence. The other Guard quickly fell to the same poison and they slumped on their seats.

The two sacks in the back of the cart moved, and Aiden heard Neridah ask what was happening. Doom and Dain appeared and helped the two escape their confines, but Aiden leapt onto the top of the cart to check on the Guards and reclaim Sion.

"_They tasted awful_," the snake told him. Aiden snickered as he helped Sion curl around his neck, but as he looked closely at the Guards he noticed that they were still breathing.

"_They're just unconscious_," he announced. "_We should probably leave before they wake up. I guess Viper venom doesn't work on Guards._"

"_I'll just have to bite them hard next time,_" Sion promised. "_I'll tear their throats out_."

"_Good plan._"

"Aiden, get off there. It's time to go."

Aiden nodded to Doom and took a running leap so that he was already moving through the mud before the others could blink. The rush of air on his face made Aiden long to be able to complete his animagus transformation. The only downside he could think of was that shape-shifting was something that only the minions of the Shadow Lord could do, few, if anyone, would understand that his abilities weren't given to him by the Shadow Lord, he was born with them.

Once they were safe Aiden pulled Doom aside and told him that he wanted to make his way back to the orchard. They were still nearby, and he would be able to get there within a few days. Doom wasn't happy with the plan, and made it obvious to everyone, but Dain backed up Aiden and asked why Doom still treated him as a helpless kid.

"You let me go out on my own for days at a time, Aiden knows how to fight and I know that you've taught him how to use that dagger. He's also the fastest runner in the Resistance. No one can catch him if he doesn't want to be caught. And there's also the fact that he has a Pinwheel Viper around his neck that would hesitate to bite anyone looking to harm him."

Aiden smiled gratefully at Dain, and both of them looked to Doom. Glock and Neridah said nothing, though when he looked them Doom noticed that the two weren't happy with Aiden. He figured it was from the drugged cider, and decided that it would be best if Aiden disappeared while the others came to terms with their plan. So he gave his permission and Aiden disappeared.

* * *

Several days later Aiden was hidden deep within the woods bordering the road. He was still two days from the orchard, and knew that he wouldn't be disturbed. The Grey Guards hadn't chased him, and he hadn't seen another soul on the road during his travels.

Lief had obtained the next Gem, the lapis lazuli, the previous evening and Aiden's bracelet had glowed momentarily. There hadn't been anyone around to see it, so Aiden had given a small cheer and had been unable to stop grinning. Now there were four coloured gems and three black ones, more than half the gems had been found. It made Aiden happy as it meant that the Shadow Lord's days were numbered. It also meant that the power in the bracelet had increased.

Sion disappeared to hunt so that Aiden wouldn't be disturbed, and without the snake chatting to him from his neck Aiden was able to sink into his meditative trance easily. Over the weeks he had been travelling he had been able to transform more and more parts of his body. Last time he had been able to transform both arms into wings. This time he was sure that he could complete the transformation.

Hours passed. Aiden could feel his body changing, his magic pulsing through his bracelet in time with his heartbeat. Heat coiled in his chest as his arms bent and changed. Feathers sprouted from his arms, his back and his chest and his legs shrunk in length and size. Pain erupted from his face as a beak grew in place of his mouth and nose and feathers pulled back until all his skin was hidden. When he opened his eyes again he was a phoenix, and only three feet tall.

_I did it!_ Aiden thought excitedly. He flapped his wings and attempted to fly. His first attempt ended up lasting about four seconds before crashing into a tree and falling to the ground. Hissing laughter broke into his thoughts and Aiden looked around to spot Sion resting on a nearby rock. Sion was laughing at his attempts, but Aiden ignored him so that he could try again. His second attempt lasted longer but he couldn't get very high off the ground before rolling to a stop. The third, and last, attempt went better and he glided around the clearing before stopping and transforming back into his human form, energy spent. He lay on the ground a while, panting as if he had just run a marathon, and didn't move as Sion slithered up to rest on his chest.

"_That was most entertaining_," Sion told him. "_When are you doing that again?_"

"_A little every day so that I can maintain that form,_" Aiden replied. "_I want to be able to fly in that form_."

"_You realise that others won't appreciate your ability?_"

"_I don't plan on telling anyone_," Aiden said as he sat up and shifted Sion to his shoulders again. "_This will be our secret._"

Using the last of his energy Aiden pulled himself closer to the nearest tree so that he could camp there for a while. Sion promised him that he would keep watch for a while, and with that taken care of Aiden passed out.

* * *

Two days later Aiden arrived at the orchard, where he was glad to see Steven and Nevets back from their most recent sale route. He hadn't seen the two since his birthday a few weeks previously and was excited to catch up with them. They had a lot of stories to tell about how the Shadow Lord was moving. The Grey Guards were seen more regularly and in greater numbers, Ols were appearing more often than they weren't and pirates were taking advantage of the heightened fear. Several small towns were now abandoned, its inhabitants gone on to find shelter elsewhere. The Resistance had gained a few more members as those who were oppressed sought help from the people who could ensure them revenge.

Bee told them about the three travelers who had appeared from the direction of the City of the Rats. They had stolen some apples, but once she realised where they were from, and she remembered Aiden's dreams, she let them pass by with directions on how to get to the main road. She thought that she had unnerved them when she wished them luck but they had left too quickly for her to gauge their reactions.

Finally, Aiden told them about how the Resistance figured out the plan of the Shadow Lord at Rithmere, the progress of the three travelers, and Sion's adventures. Naturally, the three had been curious as to why Sion's venom hadn't killed the Grey Guards immediately, but not too much was thought on the matter. Bee did ask for some venom to use in her defenses, and Sion was quite happy to let her have some.

He didn't tell them of his ability to change shapes, that he wanted to keep a secret until the last possible moment. In time he hoped to be able to do it with instantly like his father, godfather and professors.

All told they were happy with the progress of Lief, Barda and Jasmine in reclaiming the Gems of Deltora, and had asked Aiden about his own bracelet, to which Aiden explained the greater strength of his magic, and in turn the greater clarity of his opal visions.

Over the next few days Aiden's dreams started to guide him south, to Del. He recognised the palace from the descriptions of his "brothers" and deduced that Deltora wanted him to go there, that there was something in Del he needed to see. It would take him days to walk there, but not as long if he were to fly. His family was reluctant to let him go, but also knew that he would just sneak away in the middle of the night if they didn't support his choice.

So he started to practice flying in the orchard where no one could see him, and Sion informed him that he hated it. The Pinwheel Viper disliked heights, and had been able to hide underneath Aiden's jacket so that he wouldn't be able to see how high up he was. When Aiden was in avian form, however, there was nowhere for him to hide and he had to endure the long flights. Two days after receiving his first dream of Del Aiden left with a small bag of food and water and transformed. The bag was clutched in his talons, and Sion had requested that he travel in the bag so that he wouldn't be able to see the ground. Aiden allowed the request and flew to Del, guided only by the images sent by his opal.

It took him three days as he was only able to fly for a few hours before growing tired and being forced to land and rest. But as the days went on the transformation became easier and faster, and his strength grew. Sion also grew more confident as he stopped complaining about how bumpy the ride was. As Del came into sight, Aiden entered the surrounding town as a human.

He was horrified by what he saw.

* * *

_**Next up in Deltora's Protector:**_

_**Chapter 10 - Del and Fallow**_


	10. Del and Fallow

Deltora's Protector

Chapter 10 – Del and Fallow

* * *

Previously on Deltora's Protector:

_Harry Potter was tortured for months in a prison known as the Island. During his stay he lost his voice and as such can no longer speak. A rescue attempt was made and while Harry managed to get out, it wasn't in England he returned to. He was washed ashore the western shore of Deltora and taken care of by Verity, the spirit girl of Bone Point Lighthouse. Shortly afterwards he met Steven, Nevets and Queen Bee. He was renamed Aiden and spent a few months recovering at Queen Bee's orchard. One day he snuck away to the City of the Rats and became the owner of a fine bracelet. Aiden joined Steven on his rounds and during his adventures became friends with the Ralads, a Dread Gnome, the Resistance and became an enemy of the Shadow Lord. He witnessed the rebirth of the village of D'Or and discovered that his blood protection from his mother is still active. He was a part of the Resistance's investigation to learn what became of the finalists in the Rithmere Games, and now he is in Del having completed his animagus transformation._

_His adventures continue..._

* * *

The first place Aiden came to was a blacksmith forge, but it wasn't warm or welcoming like he imagined forges to be. It was cold, dark and empty. The forge gate was swinging irregularly, the bang as it swung close echoed over the silent yard and road. On the gate was a symbol that Aiden had been shown a few times by Doom, the symbol of the Shadow Lord. It was a red hand burned onto the wood surrounded by a red ring. It made Aiden feel sick. The red looked like blood.

He leapt the fence and made his way to the front door, this was where his opal wanted him to be. There was something inside. Sion tightened around his neck, the small snake knowing that the place they were in was dangerous. He wanted them to go somewhere else, but Aiden told him that they wouldn't be able to leave until he saw what he needed to.

Night had fallen, and the full moon outside blared into the house. The curtains were wide open. The people who had lived here hadn't had the opportunity to shut them before they had been taken. Books and papers were scattered across the floor, drawers had been removed from their cupboards, clothes had been ripped from their hangers, and sheets torn from the beds. Someone had been looking for something, and Aiden couldn't tell if they had found it or not.

In a sudden burst of awareness Aiden knew that he wasn't alone. He spun around, searching for the other presence but not seeing anyone. He ripped off his glove and used the bracelet as a light, forcing the shadows back and revealing a faint outline in the doorway. It disappeared quickly, heading out the door, but Aiden had no idea who, or what, it had been. He followed it and stood in the doorway as the specter froze at the gate before fading away entirely. Aiden quickly hid the bracelet as he didn't need it anymore and returned inside. He wondered who had died in the forge that their ghost would linger.

As he was tired Aiden decided that he would crawl under one of the beds to rest, and as soon as he had recovered his strength he would take a look around outside to see if he could learn anything new. Sion curled up near the front door, promising the boy that he would stand guard. Aiden agreed and slept until the sun rose.

* * *

Aiden had heard many stories about Del, both from Steven and Nevets, and from the Resistance. But despite the stories, nothing could have prepared him for the sense of hopelessness that surrounded the city. It appeared that the only place in Del that didn't bask in despair was the palace in the distance. Clearly the Shadow Lord wanted the palace for his own use, and didn't care about the people in the city surrounding it.

With Sion around his neck, Aiden made sure that not only was his red bandana covering his hair, but his hood was also pulled up to cast his face in shadow. Looking around at the people around him, he wasn't that much out of place. The children he passed had a half-starved appearance, and the adults walked with their shoulders hunched. Many stores were closed, the brand of the Shadow Lord burned into the door. It was a depressing sight to behold.

Aiden made his way closer to the palace, avoiding the Grey Guards as he did so. It wasn't until he had a clear view of the gates that he wasn't fast enough to avoid the Grey Guard who had snuck up on him. He struggled as he was easily lifted from the ground, and the cold sound of laughter informed him of who had captured him.

"Lookie what I got boys! It's a maggot snooping around where he shouldn't!"

"Stop bragging and throw him in the dungeons."

Aiden glared and continued to struggle as he was lead to the dungeons. Sounds of other prisoners groaning and crying reached his ears, and the smell of decay wafted through the air. He tried to kick the Guard holding him, but it didn't do anything and all it achieved was that he was literally thrown into a cell that already had a prisoner. Apparently the cells were filling up faster than they could execute people, and there were people who were being held for leverage. Aiden bounced as he landed, letting out a small yelp as his head collided with the floor. He sat up and held his head, waiting for the throbbing to subside. He was glad that he still had his bag and cloak, and once he could he took them off and put them to the side so that they wouldn't be taken from him.

"What did you do to warrant an arrest?" the man in the cell asked. Aiden looked at him, noted his slumped and defeated shoulders, the raw skin around his wrists, and the dark circles under his eyes. He shrugged and stood up to look for a way out. Sion was still around his neck, and the snake was hissing unpleasant insults about Grey Guards and humans in general that Aiden chose not to respond to.

"Will you not speak to me child?" the man asked again. Aiden spun slightly and with a smile pulled down his shirt so that his scar could be seen. The man nodded with an understanding smile, a little horrified, and gestured to the floor next to him.

"I've already looked for a way out, unfortunately unless you were small and could fly, the only way out is the door."

Aiden looked up at the window and figured that in his phoenix form he could escape. He looked back to the man before sitting next to him and bringing his knees up to his chest. The floor was dusty enough so he sketched out a question.

"I'm Jarred of the Forge," the man stated in response to the question. Aiden stared at him with wide eyes, unless there was another man named Jarred who also happened to own a blacksmith forge, he had already met this man…but he knew him as Doom. He took a closer look at the man, and while there were some similarities with between this man and Doom, he could tell they were completely different people.

Liar, Jarred is currently with the Resistance. Who are you really?

"I am no liar," the man, Jarred, declared. "My wife Anna and I own the blacksmith forge."

Aiden was confused. Jarred and Anna had lived in the Forest of Silence, they had a daughter named Jasmine. This man was not Jarred, so for what purpose would he take the name of another man…unless it was to hide. He removed the words from the ground and sketched another sentence.

Who were you before you were Jarred?

"Who are you?" Jarred asked. "These questions, you're with the Shadow Lord aren't you?"

With his last sentence his shot up from the ground and glared angrily at Aiden. Aiden glared back and shook his head in denial. He stood as well, hiding the words as he did so by scuffing his foot through them. Sion was protesting the rapid movement, but Aiden ignored him and gently put him on the ground out of the way in case something happened. He wished he could speak, but he also knew that nothing he could say at this moment would change Jarred's mind.

The two stood glaring at each other for several minutes, neither moving, until the door burst open and four Grey Guards entered. Aiden instantly ignored Jarred and focused on the more apparent threat. The two were studied, but then the Guard at the front pointed at Aiden.

"That one," he ordered. "He looks tender."

Aiden gulped and before he could stop himself he took a step backwards. The Guards laughed at him, two darting forward and grabbing Aiden's arms. The boy struggled, and from the corner of his eye he noticed that Jarred looked uncertain. It seemed the man was now unsure of where Aiden's allegiance lay.

Kicking and struggling, Aiden was dragged from the cell to another room that reminded him of the Island, no matter how hard he tried to ignore the coincidence. He didn't think that these Guards had the creativity of the Death Eaters, but he was also unwilling to find out. His struggles however, only served to amuse the Guards as they strapped him down and three left him, leaving the fourth behind.

Not a sound passed Aiden's lips as the next hour passed in agony.

Aiden wasn't completely aware when he was returned to his cell. All he really understood was that one moment he was being dragged, then he was airborne, and only when he was still did he realise that he was in someone's arms. Green eyes opened partially to stare at Jarred, and he was distantly surprised to note that there was no suspicion in the man's gaze. He struggled to sit up, but all Jarred did was alter his position so that he was once again sitting and Aiden was lying flat with his head on Jarred's leg.

"The Shadow Lord is a cruel master," Jarred muttered. "But I don't think that he would go this far to maintain the cover of a spy."

Aiden shook his head with another moan. He had to let the man know he wasn't in league with the Shadow Lord, he never wanted to be associated with a monster as unforgiving as him. Jarred rested a hand on his head to prevent him moving.

"I know, I know, don't move just yet. Your injuries could get worse."

Aiden actually smiled at that. Whilst it had hurt, the Death Eaters had been worse and he knew that he would be fine after a little rest. Nevertheless he lay still and kept his eyes on Jarred. Soft hissing reached his ears and he cast out his arm for the snake to return to his favourite perch. Jarred jumped almost violently as the small black snake became visible for the first time.

"_You should have let me bite them_," the snake scolded.

"_The other Guards would have taken it out on all the other prisoners. Couldn't let that happen._"

"_You really are a strange human,_" Sion hissed. He wound around Aiden's neck, completely ignoring Jarred, and for all intents and purposes went to sleep. Jarred shifted uncomfortably at the close proximity of the snake, but otherwise relaxed once he realised that Sion wasn't about to do anything.

"A snake, huh?" Jarred asked. "Of all the pets in Deltora you had to pick a snake?"

Aiden smiled again, a more genuine smile and closed his eyes. Jarred was also silent for a while, but then he started to talk. He began with Aiden's last question and explained that he had owned the blacksmith forge for close to seventeen years. He and Anna had a son, who had celebrated his sixteenth birthday with them before running away to live the life of danger and adventure. He didn't give Aiden his son's name, but Aiden had a hunch as to who he was anyway. The stories of his son growing up were particularly humorous. Jarred also explained that he had lived in the palace when he was a boy, he and King Endon had been best friends growing up. He told fantastic stories of all the misadventures he and the then Prince Endon had gotten up to, and Aiden drifted into a semi-conscious state with images of two boys pulling pranks in a glittering palace running through his mind.

It wasn't until several hours later, long after Jarred had stopped talking, that Aiden felt something change. The same presence from the forge was now in the cell, and when he turned his head Aiden could see the ghostly outline of a boy. He didn't need his bracelet to locate him; there was a stronger connection this time around. The Ghost Boy, who Aiden really hoped wasn't dead, rushed forward towards Jarred and tried to grab his arm. Aiden could feel his distress, and he moved slightly so that he could continue to watch. Jarred's head lifted from where he was dozing.

"Dreaming," he murmured. Aiden's brow furrowed. It was clear that Jarred couldn't see the Ghost Boy, but on some level he could sense his presence. Jarred looked down at Aiden and smiled, asking how he was feeling. Aiden gave him a thumbs up and sat up, groaning at the sudden shift of his muscles. The two of them suddenly looked towards the door as the sound of a key turning in the lock echoed towards them. A man, tall and thin with a long blood red robe strode in, flanked by two Grey Guards holding flaming torches. Jarred froze and stared at the man with wide eyes, ignoring the two Guards. Aiden however, ignored the man and watched the Guards. They placed their torches in wall brackets before grabbing Aiden's arms and pulling him away from Jarred before the man recognised what was going on.

"Jarred, Boy," the robed man greeted the two of them.

"Prandine!" Jarred breathed. "What do you need with him? He's just a child!"

"I'm not Prandine," the man jeered. "The one called Prandine fell to his death from the tower of this very palace over sixteen years ago, on the day the Master claimed his kingdom. Prandine was careless – or unlucky. Perhaps you know something about that?"

"I know nothing, now release the boy!"

"We shall see," The-One-Who-Was-Not-Prandine said, ignoring Jarred's demands about Aiden. "But where one dies, there is always another to take his place. The Master likes this face and form. He chose to repeat it in me. My name is Fallow."

"Where is my wife? And why do you restrain the boy, he can't fight back!"

"I shall consider both requests, if you answer my questions."

"What questions? Why are we here? We haven't done anything wrong."

Fallow looked to the Guards, and at Aiden hanging between them. He sneered before focusing on Jarred again. From inside his robe he pulled out a pale blue book. _The Belt of Deltora_, read the front cover.

"This book was found in your house, Jarred," Fallow stated. "How did it come there?"

"I do not remember." Aiden sighed at the answer, he wasn't the best liar in the world, in fact he was probably one of the worst, but he himself could spot a lie anywhere. No one could lie to him.

"Perhaps I can help you," Fallow continued. "It is known to us. It came from the palace library."

"As a young man I lived in the palace. I may have taken it away with me when I left. It was many years ago, I do not know."

Fallow tapped the book with his bony fingers. A cruel smile adorned his face, and his eyes darted between Jarred and Aiden and back again.

"The Master thinks you have deceived us, Jarred. He thinks that you kept in contact with your foolish young friend, King Endon, and at the last helped him, his idiot bride, and their unborn brat to escape."

Aiden felt a few puzzle pieces fit into place in his head. As best friends, Jarred would have helped Endon escape, but Jarred had lived in the Forest of Silence before being taken to the Shadowlands. So that meant that the man sitting in the cell with Aiden, he wasn't Jarred, he was-

"Endon was fool enough to believe me a traitor," 'Jarred' replied. "Endon would never have turned to me for help, nor would I have given it to him."

"So we thought. But now we are not so sure. Strange things have been occurring in the kingdom, blacksmith. Things my Master does not like."

Aiden saw a flash of hope bloom in Jarred's eyes before he could squash it. A glance at Fallow showed that he had seen the hope as well, his eyes went cold and the smirk disappeared from his features.

"Certain allies, valued by the Master, have been viciously killed. Certain – goods – also valued by the Master have been stolen. We suspect that King Endon is still alive. We suspect that he is making some last, useless effort to reclaim his kingdom. What do you know about that?"

"Nothing," Jarred spat. "Like everyone else in Del, I believe that Endon is dead. That is what we were told."

Aiden knew that feeling. As far as he was concerned, Harry Potter died on the Island. Fallow's eyes narrowed, before leaning in close so that his foul breath penetrated Jarred's senses.

"Indeed. Tell me, where is your son?"

Jarred's nose wrinkled as the smell reached him, before sadness descended on his features. Aiden waited patiently, his arms going numb. Sion was still sleeping around his neck, and he hoped that the snake remained so for a little longer.

"Lief left our home months ago. The blacksmith's trade bored him. He preferred running wild with his friends in the city. We do not know where he is. Why do you ask about him? He broke his mother's heart, and mine."

Aiden started as he finally learnt the name of Jarred's son. He also saw how the Ghost Boy shifted uncomfortably, and gathered that Ghost Boy was actually Lief. There was another, fainter presence that he hadn't noticed earlier, that was further back in the cell. It was larger and had less personal connection to this place, so Aiden figured that it could be Barda.

"It is said that a boy of about your son's age is one of the four criminals who are roving the land, trying to overturn the Master's plans," Fallow continued slowly, watching Jarred's face closely. "With him are a girl and a grown man. A black bird flies with them. The fourth, we have already caught."

"Why are you telling me this?" Jarred asked, having noticed Fallow's quick glance at Aiden. He was most certainly curious about the identity of the people Lief was travelling with, but didn't want to give too much away.

"This boy, could be your son. You are crippled, and may have sent him on some useless quest in your place. The man – could be Endon."

Jarred laughed, and it sounded completely natural. Even Aiden cracked a smile having already figured out what was happening. Fallow's thin lips set in a hard line and the anger in his eyes was burning. Aiden knew what the man was going to do moments before he did, but from his current position he could do nothing to avoid the blow. Fallow kicked his leg up and it struck Aiden's jaw, not breaking it but causing Aiden's head to bounce backwards and then collide with the floor as the Grey Guards released him. Aiden groaned and noticed that Jarred had stopped laughing.

"Take good care Jarred," Fallow sneered. "Do not try my patience too far. Your life is in my hands. And not only yours. I've already caught one enemy of the Master, your son's fate will be the same as his."

Aiden opened his eyes, having not been aware that he had closed them, and spotted Fallow walking to the door after giving a meaningful glance at Aiden, the Guards following him. Fallow looked back, first to Jarred and then to Aiden.

"I will be back. Think over what I have said. The next time I come to see you, I will come expecting answers. If you have done what we suspect, mere pain will not make you tell the truth. But perhaps the pain of one you love will be more persuasive. Boy, you will be collected tomorrow and sent to the Shadowlands. The Master is very eager to meet you."

As Fallow left, locking to door behind him, Aiden crawled over to where Jarred was sitting. The presence that may have been Barda disappeared, but Lief was still present. An opal vision flashed through his mind and once he was close enough he reached out and grasped Lief's ghostly leg, using his magic to bring his body into view.

"Lief!" Jarred cried. "Please tell me you're not dead!"

"Father! Please don't despair!" Lief answered, elated at being able to be heard. "I'm not dead, I'm on my way to Dread Mountain! We're going as fast as we can!"

"How are you here?"

"I've been here for a while, watching Fallow interrogate you."

"Why didn't I see you before?"

"I don't – wait, Aiden! You're doing this?" Lief asked, his attention focused further down to where Aiden was still grasping his ankle. Aiden nodded, panting slightly from the amount of magic he was using to maintain the connection. If he were completely healthy, and not dizzy from being kicked in the head, he might have been able to make the connection last longer, but already his strength was fading.

"Aiden," Jarred murmured thoughtfully before turning back to Lief. "Lief, I am fighting here, as best as I can. I need you and Barda to continue what you're doing. Your mother's and my prayers are with you."

"We will do our best," Lief promised. "Aiden, thank you."

_Tell Gla-Thon that I said hello_, Aiden sent telepathically, smiling as Lief's eyes widened as his voice echoed through his mind. _I'll be out of here soon. There is no way that I'm going to allow myself to be taken to the Shadowlands._

Lief nodded, and then Aiden let go, slumping further into the ground as he relaxed. Jarred helped him to roll over so that he was facing the roof, before pulling him up and hugging him. Aiden only had the strength to rest his hand on the other man's arm as Jarred thanked him tearfully.

"Who are you Aiden?" Jarred asked after several long moments. Aiden tightened his grip and spoke to him telepathically, like he usually did with Doom, and had just done with Lief.

_Just a boy who's trying to do that right thing_.

"Telepathy?"

_Only way I can talk. A monster took my voice from me and I still have a way to go to get it back._

"You know my son?"

_Of course, I've known him far longer than he's known me. It was only fitting that I dreamt of Deltora's Heir before he began his journey._

"What?"

_Don't insult me, Your Majesty. I told you earlier that I knew Jarred of the Forge. He leads the Resistance against the Shadow Lord, but he lived in the Forest of Silence with his wife Anna and daughter Jasmine._

"The Forest of Silence? But he was supposed to have gone west," Jarred had paled as Aiden's voice echoed in his mind. He hoped that he hadn't been as obvious with Fallow, their deception had worked for sixteen years, and it just needed to last until Lief had succeeded.

_He's slowly regaining his memories after his stay in the Shadowlands. But now that I know more of the story, I promise you that I will protect your son, the Prince, as best as I can. He already has four Gems, and is about to get the fifth._

"Protector?"

_Some have called me that,_ Aiden admitted. _But I much prefer Aiden. Now I must go, I cannot be here when they come back._

"How will you escape?"

_You told me when I arrived that unless I was small and could fly, the only way out was the door. However, I have the ability to become a bird and fly through that window. I must go and make a difference._

"I know that we will win," Jarred – Endon – breathed in relief. "With the Heir and Protector, we can't lose."

Aiden smiled and gently pushed the man away. With a groan he rolled over so that he was on all fours, and from there he stood, swaying slightly as the blood in his veins drained from his head to his feet. As quickly as he could he slung his bag onto his back and dropped the cloak around his shoulders. With a blink he transformed into his phoenix form, shocking Sion in consciousness, and flew away. Jarred watched with wide eyes as Aiden, in bird form, easily slipped through the bars, he couldn't wait until Fallow returned for Aiden.

Aiden flew north-west from the palace, thinking about what he needed to do. First on the agenda, head to the Resistance Headquarters, and then find Lief. Now more than ever it was important that Lief lived to continue his quest. The fate of Deltora was resting on his shoulders, and he alone could bring Deltora into a new day and age. He just needed the chance.

* * *

_**Next up in Deltora's Protector:**_

_**Chapter 11 – Escape to the Resistance!**_


	11. To the Resistance!

Deltora's Protector

Chapter 11 – To The Resistance!

* * *

Previously on Deltora's Protector:

_Harry Potter was tortured for months in a prison known as the Island. During his stay he lost his voice and as such can no longer speak. A rescue attempt was made and while Harry managed to get out, it wasn't in England he returned to. He was washed ashore the western shore of Deltora and taken care of by Verity, the spirit girl of Bone Point Lighthouse. Shortly afterwards he met Steven, Nevets and Queen Bee. He was renamed Aiden and spent a few months recovering at Queen Bee's orchard. One day he snuck away to the City of the Rats and became the owner of a fine bracelet. Aiden joined Steven on his rounds and during his adventures became friends with the Ralads, a Dread Gnome, the Resistance and became an enemy of the Shadow Lord. He witnessed the rebirth of the village of D'Or and discovered that his blood protection from his mother is still active. He was a part of the Resistance's investigation to learn what became of the finalists in the Rithmere Games, completed his animagus transformation, and now he has escaped from Del Palace knowing the identity of Adin's Heir._

_His adventures continue..._

* * *

The closest Resistance Base was at Withick Mire, and that was only a few minutes flying distance away. However, as Aiden didn't want to freak anyone out, he transformed back into his human form and walked the rest of the way. He was pretty sure that he had broken or bruised some of his ribs, and changing form hadn't helped his body's healing abilities in the slightest. In fact, by the time he had reached the entrance he was struggling to breathe and just wanted to lie down and sleep until he was healed. He couldn't do that in the open though, so he persevered. Pushing aside the covering of the door, he made it a handful of steps through before collapsing.

Hands reached down and rolled him over, and Aiden couldn't help but moan as his injuries protested the movement. A gasp came from above him so Aiden opened his eyes to see who was either helping him or robbing him.

"It's Aiden," the man whispered. His partner cursed and lifted Aiden from the ground in one fluid movement, causing Aiden to groan again and allowed his head to fall back weakly.

"We need to get a message to Doom as soon as we can," the first man stated as they walked further into the base.

"It would be better for all of us if we at least tried to heal these injuries before sending word," the second man refused. "When were you attacked Aiden?"

Aiden almost glared at the man carrying him, even if he wasn't feeling so pathetic he wouldn't have been able to answer without a pen and paper. The first man apparently thought so as well as he had smacked his partner across the back of his head.

"Aiden's mute, you idiot. How the hell is he going to tell you that without something to write with? We'll send out feelers and get the information that way. I'll start on that and you see if you can get one of the others to pull out the medical supplies."

The first man left and Aiden twisted his head to watch him go back the way they'd come from. The other man put Aiden down on a bed of some description and helped him to take off his cloak, jacket and shirt. He cursed again upon seeing the injuries, and gently touched the ribs that Aiden suspected were broken, pulling away when he felt Aiden wince.

"You know, aside from the fact that you're beat up pretty bad," the man said conversationally. "You look almost exactly the same as when Doom first brought you here all those lovely months ago. Although, you're lighter than you should be. I mean, I heard Doom telling you to eat when you were here, but you're still underweight. There's certainly more food to the north, and don't you live in an orchard? There's definitely enough food in those places. With more meat on your bones, it would be harder to break them, you know?"

Aiden nodded, but otherwise he didn't move as the man bandaged up his ribs and other cuts. People moved around him as he rested, but someone was kind enough to get him an ice pack for his aching jaw. There would be a spectacular bruise there, but there was nothing to do about it except wait for it to heal on its own.

The man tending him identified himself as Chris, and Aiden had vague recollections of the man from his previous visit. The other man was Joey, and Joey was apparently the biggest worrywart Chris had ever met. He also thought too much and didn't know how to have fun. Aiden merely smirked at the explanation and closed his eyes. He would rest and only after he was rested would he make his way west to where Lief, Barda and Jasmine were. He had promised the former King that he would look after his heir, and now that he knew more of the history, he also understood exactly why the opal kept showing him visions of Lief.

For the next two days he slept, only waking briefly to drink whatever vile herbal drink they were forcing down his throat, before drifting off again. As he slept, visions of Lief, Barda and Jasmine on their quest played out in his mind. He saw them standing before a giant toad sitting on a pile of gold; travelling on a ferry; being questioned by Doom in a Resistance Base somewhere; walking through a never ending labyrinth; and finally a vision of the Belt of Deltora, completed, and shining from around Lief's waist. The last vision was also the only one that Aiden saw himself in. Words were uttered during the vision and Aiden committed them to memory, knowing that they were important. But once the vision was over Aiden forced himself to wake and remain conscious, much to the relief of Chris.

"About time you woke up," he said as he came to give Aiden something to eat. "For a moment there we thought that you weren't going to wake. A messenger left yesterday to find Doom. He went towards the far west stronghold as that was where Doom was reported to be going. How did the Rithmere Games go?"

Aiden grabbed the charcoal and paper that Chris had in his hands and wrote out a brief description of their adventures in Rithmere, ending with the statement that he had been on his way home when he was captured by Grey Guards and taken to Del. This correlated with what Chris had discovered. A rumor was spreading about how the Shadow Lord's most dangerous enemy had been captured and would be on his way to the Shadowlands as soon as transport could be arranged. This was followed by the rumor that someone had escaped from the dungeons of the Del Palace, much to the fury of the guards. Their violent screams could be heard from the city.

After hearing that, Aiden decided that he would leave as soon as he could and travel on his own. As he was still weak from his injuries, he decided that he would walk on foot until his ribs healed as he didn't want to aggravate them too much. Chris didn't like the idea, but Aiden was adamant and wouldn't take no for an answer.

In the end he was given food, water and some new clothes and he set out along Deltora Way. He knew that many weeks would pass until he reached the Resistance Base south of Dread Mountain, but it was his intention to travel for a few days and then fly the rest of the way. Maybe he would stop and visit Bee, reassure her that he was still alive, especially with the rumors flying around.

For the first three days of walking, he spent more time hiding in the bushes or in the trees hiding from the Grey Guards that were passing by looking for him. Sion kept up a near constant monologue about whatever was on his mind, mostly about whatever human had annoyed him recently, or of a human who irritated him in the past. However, two days after he started on his trek away from Del, Lief had acquired the fifth Gem, the emerald. On his own, Aiden was able to suppress the glow of his bracelet, but his elated smile wouldn't dim for the rest of the day. With five Gems returned, there were only two more to be recovered.

After those three days though he made good time and by week's end the orchard was in sight. Before he could enter the orchard however, he was forced to hide as another patrol of the Grey Guards appeared from behind him, making their way towards the orchard. So he waited.

With them out of sight he jumped the fence and slid from tree shadow to tree shadow, greeting the bees as he passed by them. He left Sion in a patch of sun where he could relax in safety, before quickly darting into the house without being seen. From his room he was able to eavesdrop on the Guards and discovered that they were discussing the three nuisances of the Shadow Lord: Lief, Barda and Jasmine. There were reports of them in the north, but from what he could gather the Shadow Lord was not aware of the fact that the emerald had been reclaimed.

The Grey Guards left without noticing Aiden, but as soon as they were gone Aiden jumped up to surprise Bee. She was elated at his appearance and just about smothered him in her excitement. She them set a feast out in front of him, and a pad or paper with a piece of charcoal next to it. Aiden ate his food with one hand, and with the other wrote out all the news he had for Bee, including his imprisonment.

Naturally, the woman was horrified at his capture, and insisted on checking over his injuries herself. Before he went to bed Bee promised that she would get him an ice pack as the bruise on his face was turning yellow. It still looked painful but Aiden had forgotten about it until Bee reached out to touch it. She fussed as he had expected, but Aiden still felt relief when he was able to go to bed.

Aiden stayed with Bee for another two days, and in those two days he revealed his ability to transform into a phoenix so that Bee would know he could easily escape from any situation. She had reacted poorly, but with all the stories about Ols that were circulating Deltora, it was expected. She calmed down after a few hours and eventually requested to see Aiden's other form again, cooing over the soft feathers and sighing as Aiden chirped a happy melody. Aiden was happy that she didn't accuse him of being in league with the Shadow Lord, and that she also allowed him to leave on his own.

On the third morning Aiden and Sion flew away from the orchard. He wondered if the messenger had reached the Resistance Base yet, and what Doom's reaction had been. To conserve his strength, and appease Sion who still hated flying, Aiden would combine walking and flying, gathering information along the way. By doing that it took him eight days to reach the far western Resistance Base. Five days on his journey and the next Gem was returned to the Belt, the amethyst, which meant that there was only one more Gem to find. When Aiden arrived at the Resistance Base he learnt that Doom had gone off with Neridah south four days previously.

"He left to follow Dain," Jinks the acrobat explained. Jinks had been the one to teach Aiden a few songs when he first arrived, and whilst the man was a coward he told great stories of the palace.

"Yeah, Dain and those other three," another Resistance member added. "Doom wasn't too happy with them, seeing as he was more interested in going east to find you. But when they escaped with Dain he went after them, and Neridah wanted to go as well."

"Be careful when you follow them brat!" Jinks ordered. "There are more Ols than ever out here!"

Aiden waved his understanding and ran off again so that he could change without anyone else seeing him. With a melodic cry he flew south, following the same path that he and Doom had taken before the Belt had even left Del. After a few hours he became a human again and tree jumped. After the sun went down he curled up in a tree and slept with Sion standing guard, only to do the exact same thing the next day.

The third day Aiden spent the morning tree hoping and stumbled upon Doom and Neridah, without them noticing. So as to not alarm them, Aiden pulled out his flute and played a short tune that he knew Doom would recognise. The man stopped walking abruptly, with Neridah asking him what was wrong. Doom ignored her and spun around, eyes scanning the trees suspiciously.

"Aiden, get down here now! Stop mucking around!"

Aiden giggled and dropped down to land directly in front the man with a smile. Doom studied him for a moment without moving, and Aiden let the smile fall off his face and arms drop to his side. As soon as he did that Doom pulled him into a hug with a sigh of relief, and Aiden relaxed, smile returning. Aiden tilted his head to the side and smiled at Neridah.

"I'm hearing interesting stories about you Aiden," Doom stated as they continued to walk. "A messenger informed us that you had been captured, and then escaped. He told me that you were still unconscious, how are you feeling?"

Aiden gave him a 'thumbs up' and a grin. Doom sighed at the familiar expression, knowing better than most how unwilling Aiden was to talk about his own health. He vowed to discuss it with the boy after they stopped when Neridah was asleep. In the meantime he pushed Aiden ahead of him so that he could watch out for him, and glared at Neridah to keep her silent. The girl gave a pout, but nonetheless she walked on silently.

* * *

As the sun set Aiden gratefully dropped to the ground, leaning against a nearby tree. Most of the journey had been pleasant, but after a while Neridah had started to complain. First they were going too fast, and then they were too slow, and then she was tired, and then she was hungry and thirsty, and then she was bored, and Aiden was so tempted to silence her permanently. He didn't, but he desperately wanted to.

Doom dropped down next to him, but Neridah curled up on the other side of the clearing out of earshot. With her was a small portion of food, but she wanted to eat on her own. Aiden and Doom had their own food, but they didn't light a fire in case they were spotted by a passing enemy. Neridah curled up under and blanket shortly afterwards her soft snores reached where they were sitting.

"Finally," Doom muttered. "That woman is so annoying. I still don't know what made her want to come, or why I said yes."

Aiden relaxed against the tree and removed his glove. Before he rested it against Doom's skin the man grasped it and counted the six coloured Gems and one black Gem. He grinned at the sight before he allowed Aiden to initiate a telepathic link.

"So tell me, why were you captured?"

_I forgot to duck. It was my intention to study the palace; my opal was sending me visions of it._

"Learn anything interesting?"

_I met Jarred of the Forge._

"Jarred? But that can't be…"

_Have you regained any more memories of your past? Before you and Anna moved to the Forest of Silence I mean._

"Flashes only, why?"

_Apparently, Jarred of the Forge grew up in Del Palace. He and Endon were best friends, but something happened that forced Jarred to leave palace. When the palace was attacked Jarred helped Endon escape, but they went as far as the forge and then separated. _

"Yes, I remember now…it would have been too dangerous for Endon and Sharn to leave Del, they needed to survive. So Anna and I went west, but they were killing all couples who had children with them, so instead we went east to the Forest of Silence. You say you met Jarred? Endon?"

_Yep. He was the one he fixed the Belt, but he was injured and wasn't able to collect the Gems himself. So he sent his son._

"The boy? No way! Adin's Heir is just walking around Deltora and no one knows about him?"

_We do, and now that I know his identity I can help protect him._

"Aside from the obvious, why do _you_ need to protect him?"

_Don't know. But ever since I arrived in Deltora I've been dreaming about him, and now that I know why, I know that my fate is tied with his._

"Your fates are combined?" Doom mused. "The only fate that is tied with Adin's Heir is the fate of the Protector. That must mean…"

_Endon called me a Protector as well, and Sion has told me about how the only one who can speak his language is the Protector. This bracelet has a close connection to the Belt, every time that Lief puts another Gem onto the Belt I know about it, and whenever I'm near a Gem my bracelet gets hot. All along we've been connected._

"You must keep that silent about that. It is said that the Protector is just as important to the future of Deltora as the Heir is. But that also means that the Guardian of the Diamond is torturing those who play his sick game…"

_What game? When did you meet the Diamond Guardian?_

"After I returned from the Shadowlands I figured that I would gather the Gems of Deltora so that when the Heir appeared the Gems would be ready for him or her. But the gaining the Diamond was not worth the pain that the knowledge caused. For until you returned my memories to me I truly believed that King Endon had joined the Shadow Lord. I despaired and began the Resistance. I vowed that I would tell no one about Endon's fate as it would be kinder if everyone believed him dead, but now my hope has returned."

_I'll keep that in mind when I join them._

"You will join them?"

_No reason not to. They're nearly finished anyway._

Doom nodded his agreement, and Aiden removed his hand and put his glove back on. He burrowed under his cloak and checked on Sion's location, noting that the snake was circling the campsite on watch. Doom ordered him to sleep, mentioning that Neridah would have second watch and he would have the last watch. Aiden nodded and closed his eyes, he only distantly felt Sion returning to him and curling up on his body for heat.

Hours later a scream broke the silence and Aiden shot up with his dagger held up defensively. He couldn't see anything alarming, until Neridah rushed at him with her own dagger aimed at him. Scuttling backwards, he was grateful when Doom stepped between them and restrained Neridah. The woman was babbling indecipherably, and Aiden stood as far from her as he could. He wondered if she had had a nightmare and didn't recognise her surroundings.

"There's a snake! It's going to kill him!" Neridah screamed. Aiden looked at the snake on his shoulder, and then back at Neridah in confusion. It then hit him that the woman had never seen Sion, and didn't know that Aiden was completely safe from him.

"Sion is Aiden's protector!" Doom snapped. "Stop screeching woman!"

"It should be killed before it kills us all!"

Aiden focused the energy in his bracelet and knocked Neridah unconscious. She slumped in Doom's arms, to his shock, before he looked to Aiden in understanding. He didn't ask if it was necessary as he had been moments away from knocking her out himself. She was dropped back to the ground and Doom turned his attention once more to Aiden, asking if both he and Sion were unharmed. Aiden was shaken, and Sion wanted to bite Neridah, but otherwise both were fine. However, Aiden told Doom that he wasn't going to be anywhere near Neridah for a while. The man agreed with his statement.

For the rest of the night Aiden kept watch, and in the morning he skipped ahead of the duo. Since Dain was with the trio, both Doom and Aiden assumed that they would be making their way to Tora, so that's where they were going to go as well.

* * *

An hour or so after lunch the trio arrived at the entrance to Tora. Walking towards them were four specters, one of them appeared to be struggling. Looking closer Aiden recognised that it was Dain struggling. Doom grunted behind him and waited until they were in speaking distance, not wanting to enter the tunnel. Aiden waited on his left, and Neridah stood on his right, but the two angled themselves so that they weren't looking at each other.

"So, Dain," Doom growled. "You are where you wanted to be. Are you satisfied?"

"You knew!" Dain burst out. "You knew all along what Tora was, Doom. You lied to me!"

"Of course," said Doom coolly. "For what else was keeping you strong but hope? Has seeing that your hope was in vain made you feel better, or worse?"

Aiden stared at Dain curiously. He seemed more than a little uncomfortable after being in the tunnels, but as no one else seemed suspicious he put aside his thoughts and focused instead on the others. Lief, Barda and Jasmine seemed unharmed, but there appeared to be a figurative weight of some kind resting on Lief's shoulders. Aiden couldn't understand what it would be as they had nearly succeeded in their quest.

"Ever since you came to the stronghold I have been seeking your parents, Dain," Doom continued. "I had hoped to be successful before you could find out they were not in Tora. But you could not wait."

"No, I could not!" cried Dain defiantly. "But that is not my fault. I did not know the truth of things. I am not a child, to be protected and fed with fairytales! I am not like Aiden! You drove me to what I did by deceiving me!"

Aiden quickly looked up at Doom. He was curious as to what Dain meant by referring to him, but Doom only smiled…well, a smile by Doom's standards anyway.

"Once you would not have spoken to your elders that way," Doom said. "Such a polite, obedient child you were, when I first met you."

"I am not a child!"

"No, it seems you are not. Perhaps…perhaps I was wrong," Doom admitted, even as Aiden laughed at the admittance. "It does not happen often. But it is possible. If I beg your pardon, will you come back to the stronghold with us? You are sorely missed."

Lief, Barda and Jasmine glanced at each other at the offer. It was clear that they wanted Dain to go back to the Resistance. Aiden left Doom's side and went to stand in front of Lief, grinning expectantly. The boy appeared unsure, but instead turned to Doom.

"We have learned, since seeing you last, that it is not wise to trust appearances, Doom," he said taking a step back from Aiden. "Before Dain decides what he wishes to do we would like you, Neridah and Aiden, to go into Tora."

Aiden looked to Doom, smile gone from his face. He remembered how hard it had been for the man last time they were in Tora, but with more of his memories returning it might not be as bad as then.

"You need not stay more than a moment," Lief continued having spotted the look between Doom and Aiden. "The Tora tunnel discovers evil far more quickly than your Testing Room."

"So – you have discovered Tora's secret!" Doom sneered. "Congratulations! But what if I refuse to agree to your request? What then?"

"If you refuse to go into Tora," Barda stated. "Then we must assume that you are Ols, and act accordingly."

Doom grabbed the back of Aiden's shirt and pulled him backwards before holding his sword in front of them. The only sound Aiden released was a yelp at the sudden movement, but otherwise he also pulled out his dagger in case things went bad.

"No!" Dain cried. "You must not fight! You are not enemies, but on the same side!"

"I am not sure of that!" Jasmine spat. "For if you really are the man Doom, you have treated us badly and we do not trust you. And if you are an Ol is Doom's shape, you are a danger to us all."

Aiden actually winced at the statement. He wondered what Doom had done this time to "protect" his daughter that she hadn't agreed with. Lief's statement about the Testing Room came back to him and he sighed as he guessed that Doom had locked the trio in the room for several days. He gently smacked Doom on the chest in disapproval.

"How can it harm you to prove to us that you are what you seem?" Lief asked, curious about Aiden's disapproval.

"We don't have to prove anything to you!" Neridah cried angrily. "Doom and I have been together since we left the Base!"

This time Aiden kicked her before Doom could swing him around where he couldn't reach her. Neridah yelped as his foot connected with her knee, and tried to leap at him, but Doom held them both away from the other. The man sighed in irritation before making up his mind and pushing Aiden towards the tunnel. Aiden stumbled but willingly ran ahead. He may not have liked the feel of the magic, but he didn't need to be in there for long. Doom and Neridah followed him, and once they got into the city they turned around and walked right back out again, each of them feeling a lot calmer.

Doom sat down against the city wall, drained. Aiden sat down next to him, but Neridah remained standing, looking at the two of them in confusion.

"When anger, hatred and bitterness have left a man who lives by little else, what is there left for him but emptiness?" Doom asked as he slung his arm across Aiden's shoulders. "That is why I do not enjoy visiting Tora. I have only done so twice before. Once was enough, but Aiden and I needed to hide from Grey Guards so once again I was forced to enter. Now I have gone in a third time, though it was more bearable this time, so for that I probably should thank you Aiden."

Aiden grinned.

"Who are you Doom?" Lief asked. Doom stared at the boy, mentally comparing him to his best friend from his childhood. Lief did look a little like Endon, but also had his mother's will and kind eyes. He smiled and decided that he would answer his future King.

"I am a man," he said. "For the longest time I had no name, my memories began in the Shadowlands. I was fighting a Vraal in the Shadow Arena. I was injured. Everything before that was darkness."

"But you escaped?" Lief prompted.

"I escaped the Shadow Arena," Doom went on. "They were not expecting that. They thought I was finished. I fled across the mountains, pursued and with no clear idea of anything save that Deltora was my home. On Dread Mountain I turned and faced my pursuers. I escaped once more, but it cost me dearly. I traveled on, more dead than alive. At last I was found, given shelter and healed by a good man."

"A man who lived in a place called Kinrest," Jasmine murmured. Doom looked at her, and smiled. He was sad as those memories played out in his mind, but it was also cathartic to talk about.

"So you have seen his grave, and know I took his name. He saved me, but I brought death to him. The Grey Guards who had not died on the Mountain pursued me to his cave. Doom was a man of peace. He had no chance against them. But thanks to him I was strong once more. I killed them all and scattered their bones."

"Has that changed now?" Jasmine asked. "Earlier you said: 'for the longest time'. Is that different now?"

"My memory is returning, thanks to Aiden here," Doom said with a smile. "It has brought me more sadness than I could imagine, but at the same time I have more hope than I remember having. I remember Jarred, and I remember my family, my wife and child who I have not seen in years."

"You have a family?" Jasmine asked curiously.

"Had, I had a family. The Grey Guards killed my wife and took my child from me."

"I'm sorry," Lief murmured.

"Who was Jarred?" Barda asked. Doom closed his eyes and his grip on Aiden tightened before he stood up, pulling the boy with him. Neridah was staring at Doom with wide eyes, one hand covering her mouth in shock.

"Doom, I knew you had been through so much," she breathed. "But I had no idea…"

Doom glared at her and she trailed off. He didn't want her sympathy, or her admiration. When she was silent he focused his eyes on the others. They shifted uncomfortably.

"You have taken advantage of me, I fear. I hope your curiosity is satisfied?"

"I did not pry into your affairs out of simple curiosity, Doom," Lief admitted in a low voice.

"No?" Doom asked. He turned to Dain. "I am due to meet Steven the peddler in a few days. He has new supplies for us. Will you come with me? Or do you choose to remain with your new friends?"

"There is no choice Doom," Barda stated quickly. "Dain must go with you. We have a hard long journey ahead of us."

Dain's skin flushed red and he spoke through stiff lips. "I do not want to be a burden to anyone. I will go with you, Doom, to meet Steven."

"Good," Doom said with a nod. "And where will you three be going, that your journey is going to be so hard?"

"The Valley of the Lost," Lief revealed after a moment. Aiden was surprised that he revealed their destination, and Doom was as well as there was several minutes of silence before he spoke again.

"It is a place of suffering and pain," he warned. "But I know that nothing I say will sway your mind. But I will say this, not everything there is as it seems. Dain, Neridah…let's go."

"But what about Aiden?" Dain asked as he started to walk after Doom's retreating form.

"Aiden's already discussed his intentions with me."

"By playing charades?" Neridah asked scornfully. "How else would you 'talk'?"

Aiden glared at the girl and lifted his arm so that Sion could slither down from his neck to hiss at the girl. Neridah screamed and ran off in front of Doom. He praised the snake before Sion returned to his neck, and looked to Doom.

"Be careful brat," Doom ordered. "Is there anything you want me to tell Steven for you?"

Aiden gave a wave and a smile, letting the man know that he just wanted to pass on the he was happy and said hello. Doom nodded and once again turned to leave, Dain trailing after him.

"Wait, you can't come with us either Aiden," Lief protested. "Our quest is hard and long! You should go with Doom as well!"

"Aiden knows everything about you!" Doom called just before walking out of earshot. "Your quest is no secret from him!"

"What?" echoed all three travelers. Aiden waved after Doom in farewell before turning to look at his new companions. He pulled off his right glove and bounded over so that he could touch Lief's forehead.

_I've known about you long before you started your quest,_ he said telepathically. _But I wasn't sure it was you until we ran into each other near Raladin._

"What are you doing? How can I hear you? How do you know?" Lief asked, stumbling backwards. Aiden's hand left his forehead so he couldn't speak to Lief anymore. Instead he smiled and leant down so that he could write in the dirt. Once he was done he stepped back so that the three could read it.

I have the ability to speak telepathically with someone as long as I have physical contact with them. I've spoken to you once before Lief, did you pass on my message to Gla-Thon? As for how I know about your quest, does the opal not give you visions of what it to come?

After reading his message, Lief's hands unconsciously went to where the Belt was hidden under his shirt. Three pairs of eyes turned to Aiden and he pulled the small opal out from under his shirt in explanation. He wasn't quite ready to show them his bracelet, he would reveal that after all seven Gems were returned to the Belt.

"Well then," Barda began. "It appears that we have much to talk about. We shall rest here for now, and continue on later."

"I agree," Jasmine added. "You have a lot of explaining to do Aiden."

"Yes," Lief muttered as he took off his glove. "Start talking."

Aiden grinned wider and sat on the ground. He took Lief's hand in his but waited until both Barda and Jasmine were also touching his hand. He had never spoken to more than one person at the same time before, but this was too important not to.

_I guess I should start by saying that I have known about the Belt of Deltora and your quest since before your adventures in the Forest of Silence…_

* * *

_**Next up in Deltora's Protector:**_

_**Chapter 12 – The Valley of the Lost**_


	12. The Valley of the Lost

Deltora's Protector

Chapter 12 – The Valley of the Lost

* * *

Previously on Deltora's Protector:

_Harry Potter was tortured for months in a prison known as the Island. During his stay he lost his voice and as such can no longer speak. A rescue attempt was made and while Harry managed to get out, it wasn't in England he returned to. He was washed ashore the western shore of Deltora and taken care of by Verity, the spirit girl of Bone Point Lighthouse. Shortly afterwards he met Steven, Nevets and Queen Bee. He was renamed Aiden and spent a few months recovering at Queen Bee's orchard. One day he snuck away to the City of the Rats and became the owner of a fine bracelet. Aiden joined Steven on his rounds and during his adventures became friends with the Ralads, a Dread Gnome, the Resistance and became an enemy of the Shadow Lord. He witnessed the rebirth of the village of D'Or and discovered that his blood protection from his mother is still active. He was a part of the Resistance's investigation to learn what became of the finalists in the Rithmere Games, completed his animagus transformation, escaped from Del Palace knowing the identity of Adin's Heir, and is on his way to the Valley of the Lost._

_His adventures continue..._

* * *

_I guess I should start by saying that I have known about the Belt of Deltora and your quest since before your adventures in the Forest of Silence…_

"What?" Lief exclaimed, almost removing his hand from Aiden's but the boy's grip kept him still. "How is that possible?"

_I have been dreaming about you for a bit more than a year. After a few months I started to dream about Barda and Jasmine as well, but it wasn't until you found the Topaz that I started to understand. Crashing into you on my way to Raladin was another puzzle piece; from that moment I knew that you had the Belt._

"How?" Jasmine asked. "You were being chased by wolves if I remember correctly."

_Yep! But when I collided with you, Lief, I felt the Belt pulse. Did you feel it too?_

"I felt something," Lief admitted. "But at the time we were a little busy for me to think anything of it, and then I forgot about it until you brought it up."

_I followed you to the Lake of Tears after you left Raladin, at the request of the Ralads as they were worried about you and Manus, and knew that I had been there before. Soldeen was very kind to me, helped me escape from a Grey Guard, who probably didn't taste very nice. Anyway, I watched while you convinced him to give you the Ruby, but before you could add it to the Belt the Sorceress Thaegan appeared. As you were you were not strong enough to defeat her, so I did it and left before you could recognise me._

"You defeated Thaegan?" Jasmine asked incredulously. "That shadow was you? How?"

"I'm curious about that too," Barda admitted. "But how much do you actually know about us?"

_Almost everything. I was outside of Tom's shop waiting for Doom when you were there, and then when you got ahead of us, Doom and I followed. What were you riding that could outpace a horse?_

"Muddlets," Lief explained.

_Never ridden one of those before…_ Aiden mused. _Anyway, Doom and I continued on to Rithmere when you arrived at the City of Rats. I'm guessing that you needed to kill Reeah? Such a magnificent creature._

"He was trying to kill us!" Jasmine defended hotly. "And nearly did kill Lief!"

_Reeah was a servant of the Shadow Lord,_ Aiden agreed. _But he was loyal to the last Protector, and never gave him up to the Shadow Lord._

"You've been to the City of the Rats?" Lief asked. "Wait…I remember Reeah saying something before I passed out. He said something about looking for you, as you were Deltora's hope."

_That's a new one. I haven't been called that yet._

"And then after that you rigged the Rithmere Games?" Jasmine prompted, not too concerned with what Reeah had said near the end.

_I didn't rig them_, Aiden denied. _To be entirely honest I was protecting you. The fate of Rithmere's Champion has always been unknown. If you were to become Champion, as you did, we weren't sure what would happen to you. Your quest was far more important than winning a tournament. By knocking you out early we could have protected you better. And if Glock was Champion, well, no one would really miss him would they?_

"You call what you did protection?" Jasmine snapped.

_It's better than what Doom did. And if I hadn't already known that you were capable fighters I would have been right next to him locking you in your room and then helping you escape to the Shifting Sands. I was gathering information in Rithmere, as Mother Brightly would only let one of Doom's 'sons' stay without competing. Dain had a much more convincing presence and I don't like fighting._

"Does Doom know about our quest?" Lief asked. Aiden nodded with a smile.

"Who else knows?" Barda added apprehensively.

_Queen Bee knows, as I was with her when you won the Topaz, Steven and Nevets know as I asked them to look out for you, and Doom knows because I trust him. Oh! And Sion here knows as well, he thinks that you are alright for being humans. There are others who you have met on your journey who also know, but it's not because I have told them. _

"Doom told us off, after the two of you rescued us from the Grey Guards," Barda continued with a sigh. "I thought he was just protecting you because Jasmine had accused you of trying to hurt others, but now…he was warning us. He wanted us to know that you were important and that we should be careful with how we treat you. It's because you knew about us right?"

_In a way. Doom is very overprotective of me, and I think that that's because I helped him to remember his past. He can't be with his child, but he can be with me. He has really pronounced protective instincts, but I think he forgets that his child isn't eight anymore._

"Where'd you go after you rescued us?" Lief asked.

_Del, your father is proud of what you have accomplished. His hope has been restored and can't wait for you to return to Del and rid this land of the Shadow Lord._

"You looked like you had been tortured," Barda observed. "And I remember Doom being particularly bad tempered when we were in the Testing Room."

_Like I said, he worries. A messenger from the Resistance stronghold in Withick Mire had ridden to tell Doom that I was hurt, without waiting for me to wake. I left as soon as I could though so that I could reassure him that I was fine and pass on new information that not even the Shadow Lord knows yet._

"What information?"

_That you will find out when the time is right._

"Alright, so for the past few weeks you've been making your way west?" Lief asked.

_Correct. Did you pass on my message to Gla-Thon? How are she and the other gnomes?_

"Gla-Thon was a lot more willing to help us after I passed on your message," Lief admitted. "Seemed to think that you were in danger and that helping us was the only way she could help you. When did you meet her?"

_Some members of the Resistance had tried to kill her when she was walking around outside, just because she was a Dread Gnome. I healed her, she learnt that it was a human who stole my voice, and we parted ways. She told me that she would continue to serve the Shadow Lord until another option turned up, and when you turned up for the Emerald she knew that the Shadow Lord's days were numbered._

"I have one more question before we continue on," Barda said after Aiden allowed them to gather their thoughts. "How is it that you know when we've gathered the Gems? You say that you 'know' but how do you know?"

_I showed you my opal, every time that something big happens with you, unless I'm already there, the opal shows it to me. Congratulations on escaping the Maze of the Beast by the way._

Barda nodded, accepting the explanation. Jasmine seemed to accept it as well, but it was Lief who was still staring at Aiden curiously. Aiden put his glove back on and stood up. As he started walking, not waiting for the others as he was sure that they would want to talk about what they had learnt without him listening in. So instead he rehashed the conversation to Sion who wanted to know what they had spent so long talking about.

After a while he looked over his shoulder and saw what it was that the Shadow Lord's minions could recognise on sight. He reluctantly removed his red scarf and waited until they were closer before handing it out to Jasmine. She looked at it curiously and asked what it was for, and Aiden mimed tying it around his head. When she still didn't appear to understand what he wanted her to do, he took off his glove and held out his hand to her. She took it nervously.

_At the moment you are too recognisable. If you put on the scarf to hide your hair it will be harder to recognise you. Grey Guards and Ols are looking for a man, a boy, and a wild girl, not a man and three boys. It will be safer to travel if you are hidden in plain sight._

Jasmine nodded her understanding, even if she didn't like it. She explained to the others what it was that Aiden wanted her to do, and then she allowed Aiden to help her cover her hair so that she would be mistaken as a boy. Disguise in place, the quartet and three animals continued on to the Valley of the Lost.

* * *

That night the small group learnt of another tagalong. It seemed that Neridah really wanted to travel with them, despite the animosity between her and Aiden. She insisted that her plan was to return to her home town, which coincidently was along the same path as the Valley of the Lost, but it wasn't until she completely broke down sobbing in Lief's arms that the "true" story came out. She wanted to leave the Resistance because she had a broken heart.

"I love him!" Neridah sobbed. "But Doom is cruel, and cares nothing for me! When there is a choice between listening to me and 'talking' with Aiden he picks the boy every time! I cannot stay where I can see him every day. I cannot!"

Aiden's eyebrows raised in disbelief. He wondered if Doom knew she was declaring her love for him, and then shuddered slightly. Doom was old enough to be his father; he didn't need to hear annoying girls shouting out their love for him. However, it seemed that they only person who was on Aiden's side was Jasmine. The girl would clearly have copied Doom and ignored Neridah in favor of Aiden. Lief and Barda clearly had no idea what to do with crying girls, and allowed her to join them for a few days so that she would stop crying.

"She defeated him in the Rithmere Games," Jasmine muttered to Aiden later on. "How could he have forgotten so easily?"

_He's a boy_, Aiden mentally told her. His gloves were in his bag so to talk he was walking hand in hand with the wild girl. _Girls everywhere know that to get a boy to do their bidding they either needed to bat their eyelashes or burst into tears._

"Speaking from experience, Aiden?" Jasmine asked with a smile.

_I've learnt that usually when girls speak to me they want something. I hate it how they will make a big fuss, pretend to be insecure, or flirt to get it. What's wrong with just asking?_

"You are a strange boy Aiden," Jasmine decided. "But I'm glad that you're not under her spell."

Aiden grinned. He had been told that he was strange often enough that it didn't bother him anymore. Being strange was just who he was, he wouldn't change that for anything.

* * *

Two days later Neridah was still travelling with them. Barda at least had lost all sympathy for her, but it was to Lief that Neridah clung to. Aiden understood that to women Lief was a good looking man, but he also recognised that Lief had no experience when it came to women. After being in Del, and seeing the state of the city, he gathered that Lief had had little time to be interested in girls, and girls had little time to be interested in him. So the fact that Neridah was showing an interest in him, something that no girl had shown before, he had no idea what he was doing.

"The way I see it we have two choices," Jasmine stated after they stopped for the third time that morning. Neridah was sitting by a stream cooling off her feet. "One, we hit her on the head and run; or two, we push her in the river and run."

Neither Lief nor Barda showed much enthusiasm for either option, though Aiden had lifted his hand to show that he voted for the second one. Jasmine smiled at him, but otherwise lifted a third finger to suggest another option.

"I knew that you two wouldn't like those options so option three is we tie her up and then run."

"I don't think I could do any of those things," Barda admitted.

"I agree, I could never hit a girl and I'd feel bad tying her up," Lief added. At that moment Neridah reappeared with a bright and happy smile, asking when they would be going again. Aiden pulled a gold coin from his pocket and threw it up in the air towards the bushes. Option four. Neridah's eyes followed the coin's path and darted after it, and as soon as her back was turned Aiden grabbed Jasmine and Lief's hands with the intention of running. But as he started to move Lief pulled off his cloak and the four of them hid under it as Neridah returned. Aiden wondered why, but he could feel the magic in the cloth, and since Neridah gave no sign that she could see them he assumed that they were invisible. That was pretty cool, much better than his own invisibility cloak as that had no warming abilities and was only good for turning the wearer invisible. Aiden wondered where Lief had gotten the cloak.

Neridah ran off down the path, the wrong way, and once she was gone Lief pulled the cloak off of them and they began walking again to the Valley of the Lost. Jasmine congratulated him on his coin idea, to which Aiden had merely grinned. He was tempted to pull out his flute as he hadn't been able to play for a while, but the threat was still out there so instead he hummed one of the tunes that he liked to play.

They walked for another two days before arriving at the Valley of the Lost, and just from looking into it Aiden could understand why it was called so. A thick grey mist crawled sullenly on the valley floor, and through the mist dark shadows moved aimlessly. An air of hopelessness and despair wrapped around each of the travelers, and Aiden knew that no animal would be able to live within the valley. He untangled Sion from his neck and set him on a tree branch where Jasmine's animal friends Filli and Kree had also been set.

"Filli and Kree do not like the valley," Jasmine explained. "And I don't think Sion likes it either with the way he's willingly staying behind."

"Why?" Lief asked. Jasmine shrugged and Aiden used his magic to pull the mist up to look at it.

"They will die," Jasmine continued, ignoring Aiden. "The valley is not for them, or any creature. The mist will kill them."

"What about us?" Barda asked.

"I can see people down there," Jasmine said pointing. "If it is safe for them, it will be safe for us."

Aiden nodded his agreement and began his decent, not waiting to see if they were following him. The ground was steep and treacherous, slippery with loose stones. Twice in so many minutes Aiden had to stop to regain his balance, and several times he was hit in the back of the head from where the trio had dislodged stones of their own. And then Lief slipped and couldn't regain his balance. He collided with Aiden and the two rolled down the path all the way to the valley floor. Barda and Jasmine called out to the two of them, but neither had the ability to answer.

As they came to a stop, Aiden had to push Lief off him as the larger boy had landed on top of him. Rubbing his sore ribs, Aiden stood and looked around. The mist caused a haze to block their vision, and Aiden had to prevent himself from rubbing his eyes as doing that wouldn't help. The plants were like dark shadows looming around them, and the people were more like ghosts than any other being. A soft sigh, like the wind through the trees, echoed around them but there was no wind.

"Sorry Aiden, are you alright?" Lief asked. Aiden nodded and then turned so that he could look back up the path. Lief called out for Barda and Jasmine, and they answered. Aiden pushed the mist back slightly so that it looked like they were in a bubble, and when the last two members of their group joined them they started to walk further into the valley. The ghostly shadows crowded around them but the bubble that Aiden had created prevented them from coming closer.

"Who are they?" Jasmine asked, her dagger hanging loosely in her hand. "What is wrong with them?"

Aiden tried to shrug, and that was his first clue that something was wrong. He couldn't move. As the others were still behind him he couldn't see them, but as they hadn't passed him he figured that they were under the same spell that he was. He cursed and pushed more magic into his bracelet so that he could break the enchantment.

"Do not waste your strength," a cruel voice stated. "You can do nothing unless I wish it." Aiden stared towards the only patch of colour in the valley, and studied the tall being coming closer. His eyes were like to red hot coals, his beard was longer than even Albus Dumbledore's and reached his knees, his robe was dark and long, covering every inch of him except for his face, and from each sleeve were two grey cords. The cords disappeared into the mist from where he had come, but Aiden couldn't figure out what they were attached to.

"Welcome to my valley," the man continued. "It has been a long time since I have had the pleasure of visitors. And now I am blessed with five."

_Five?_ Aiden thought. He wondered if this man had ever learnt how to count, and then it occurred to him that this was the Guardian of the Diamond, the one who was pretending to be the fallen King Endon.

"Perhaps you thought to trick me by splitting your party, did you?" the man continued. "Ah, this is what I like to see. Visitors who like games. That will make things so much more pleasant, for all of us."

He gestured with one finger, gesturing into the mist, and to their surprise Neridah stumbled forwards. Aiden sighed in disappointment. Sion must not have seen her for he was sure that the snake would have bitten her if he had the chance to.

"Who are you?" Lief asked.

"I?" the man asked. "Why, have you not guessed? I am the Guardian."

Introductions made the Guardian turned and started to walk away, carelessly beckoning over his shoulder and the five were forced to walk forward with them. Aiden walked forward, not fighting the spell as he knew the others were doing, and studied the magic. It had slipped right passed his protective bubble from the mist, but it seemed that its only purpose was to control their movements like a puppeteer. He figured that with time he would be able to break it, but there was no harm in it at the moment. But in future he would create a shield that prevented other magic from touching him.

Behind him the trio were talking about their destination, and Neridah revealed her true colours as only being after the Great Diamond. Aiden was still able to use his magic, but as they were still being controlled he saw no purpose trying to trip her. He would wait until later when he could make it look like an accident.

They were taken to a palace made from glass. If the sun was able to cast its rays upon it, the palace would glitter like on giant jewel. As the Guardian stated, it was a dwelling fit for a king, and gave them the first clue as to his identity. Four misshapen beasts came out of the palace and Aiden's eyes widened in horror. They were hairless and gross, covered in sores and boils, with twisted arms hanging almost to the ground. From their necks were grey cords that were connected to the Guardian. Aiden shuddered.

"Here are my pets – my companions," the Guardian introduced. "I have kept them hidden until now, not wishing to alarm you. But you will learn to love them, as I have done. Perhaps you already do so, though you do not know it. They are fine, strong monsters, are they not? They protect me, and keep me company. Their names are Pride, Envy, Hate and Greed.

"Their names are a little joke of mine. For though each has one of the faults I have mentioned, none has the fault after which it is named. Greed is not greedy, Pride is not proud, Envy is not envious. Hate is not envious either, not at all. But more importantly, it has never hated in its life. You see? Is that not amusing?"

He didn't receive a reply, but Aiden didn't think he expected one. He gestured for them to enter the palace, which they were unable to refuse, and were forced to follow him to a luxurious room. The monsters followed in after them, and started to fight when they wouldn't all fit in at the same time. The Guardian flicked them with the cords and they settled down. He looked over his shoulder and gave them more information about his pets.

"Like children, my pets sometimes do not agree, and need a firm hand. The envious one and the proud one are both afraid of Greed. But they will fight if they have to. For, after all, they are linked together and cannot escape."

The five unwilling followers were directed to sit at a long table that was overflowing with food. They were instructed to eat, drink, and enjoy each other's company, for afterwards they would be expected to play the Game.

The Guardian regaled them all with tales of how he had been born into great riches, but lost it all through wickedness and envy. He was driven from his home; no one would lift a hand to help him, until he found solace in the valley. In time he transformed into the creature he was now and turned the valley that had once been home to many different animals, into the Valley of the Lost. A voice spoke to him, and in time he realised that where the light had betrayed him, the darkness would give him strength. After accepting that, he became the Guardian.

Aiden admitted to himself that if he hadn't already heard it from Doom, and met Lief's father in prison, he would wholeheartedly believe that the Guardian had once been King Endon.

The Guardian finished his plate, and Aiden wasn't surprised to note that his companions hadn't come close to finishing theirs. He himself had not been able to eat a bite of the food before them; he was too concerned about what lay ahead of them. The Guardian led them to another room that had an adjoining room protected by a glass door. In the smaller room was nothing but a small table and a glass casket, though it was what was in the casket that caused both Aiden and Lief to react as the Belt and the bracelet had grown warm. Inside the casket was the Great Diamond.

"No force can unlock this door. It is sealed by magic," the Guardian explained. "It will remain sealed until you have won the right to open it. So – will you play?"

"Do we have a choice?" Jasmine asked.

"Why, of course!" the Guardian exclaimed. "If you so wish, you can leave here now, empty-handed. Turn your backs on the Gem you came to find. Go back where you came from! I will not stop you."

"If we win the game and enter the room, the Diamond is ours to keep?" Lief asked. "You will allow us to leave this valley, taking our prize with us? You swear this?"

"Certainly!" said the Guardian. "That is the rule. Your prize will be yours to keep."

"And if we fail?" Barda asked. "What then?"

"Then – why, then, _you_ are _mine_ to keep. Then you will remain here, like all the others who have chosen to match wits with me. You will become part of the Valley of the Lost, forever."

Aiden grabbed Jasmine's wrist, as she was the closest to him, and telepathically asked her to speak for him. She agreed and turned to the Guardian, asking the one question Aiden wanted the others to know the answer to.

"What is the aim of the game?"

"You must guess my name," the Guardian said with a smile. "Will you play?"

Aiden nodded immediately, he knew the answer already but he figured that it wouldn't hurt to play along. Neridah refused, and she ran away from the glass palace as fast as she could. The final three hesitated, but in the end they agreed to play the game.

"Excellent!" the Guardian cried. A candle appeared on the table in the middle of the larger room, wick already burning. "The life of this candle will be the time you have to open the door into the casket room. If the door remains unopened when the candle dies, you will admit defeat and become mine. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

"I wish you good night then," the Guardian said. "All the clues are in this room, though you will need the first to find out my name. In one way it's hidden, in another, it's as plain as the nose on your face. Oh! And one final piece of advice, you have one chance to open the door, and one chance only. Don't waste it on a guess."

The Guardian left the room, and for a moment the four remained still. Aiden broke the stillness by flopping onto a nearby chair. A small headache was starting to form behind his eyes, but otherwise he was just tired. Around him Lief, Barda and Jasmine started to look for the first clue, and after sitting still for several minutes Aiden joined them.

For an hour they searched every corner of the room, under every surface, behind every book on the bookcase. Lief found the _Book of Deltora_ Aiden had seen once before when he was in Del, and read out a passage about the Diamond.

**The diamond is the symbol of innocence, purity and strength. Diamonds gained nobly, and with a pure heart, are a powerful force for good. They give courage and strength, protect from pestilence and help the cause of true love. But take heed of this warning: diamonds gained by treachery or violence, or desired out of envy or greed, are ill omens, and bring bad fortune. Great evil comes upon those who gain them without honor.**

It was for that reason that Lief insisted on playing the game fairly, without trying to cheat by breaking into the room with the diamond from a smaller door that all four had seen. It was also for that reason that Aiden vowed not to give away the answer as he didn't know if it would count as cheating. So he subtly helped them figure it out without appearing to. He stood in front of the mirror, studying the dark circles that were appearing under his eyes and the faint bruise that was left over from his time in Del, and then gasped in shock as words appeared before him. He summoned the others over and Barda read the passage aloud.

"_My secret name awaits within._

_My first, the first of Pride's great sin_

_My second and last begin_

_The sum of errors in the twin_

_My third begins a sparkle bright – _

_The treasure pure? The point of light?_

_My fourth, the sum of happiness_

_For those who try my name to guess._"

"Well that was as clear as mud," Jasmine muttered. "Anyone else understand what that's telling us?"

"I have seen something like this before," Barda admitted. "It's a puzzle. I think your mother had you doing puzzles like this when you were growing up Lief."

"Yeah," Lief agreed. "The rhyme tells us how many letters are in the Guardian's name. It tells us how to find out what the letters are. But it is more difficult by far than any puzzle I have ever solved."

Aiden once again dropped back on the chair he had started out on and stared up at the roof. As he knew that the answer was ENDON, he mentally put each letter into the clues. Pride's great sin would start with an 'E', so that would make it envy. Errors in the twin, whatever that meant, was 'N', so it could be nine, nineteen, or anywhere in the nineties. Treasure pure, point of light, was 'D', but Aiden had no idea what it could stand for. And then the sum of happiness was 'O', but Aiden knew that one person had already guessed the Guardian's name.

Turning his head he noticed that the candle was almost finished, he estimated that there was probably another half hour left. Lief, Barda and Jasmine were standing next to a painting of stars and diamonds, so he went to join them. They were working out the sparkles bright part of the riddle, and Aiden tilted his head to look at it. Diamond started with a 'D', so that would be the answer, but now he needed to figure out why. He gasped when he saw it and used his hands to explain it.

The painting had sixteen squares, but if one was to divide the painting into four small squares a pattern would emerge. In each box there was one more diamond than in the last, so the final square, the one that was blank, would be a diamond. The group wrote that down on a sheet of paper to keep a record of their findings. Aiden noticed that they had already put an 'O' in the fourth spot, and then in the third spot went a 'D'.

? ? D O ?

Jasmine was the one who found the twins, and that was because she had seen the rug the chairs and table were on top of. At first glance the two rugs looked identical, but after taking a second glance the quartet had noticed several differences. Counting them was fun, Aiden decided, and the total sum of errors was nine. Lief wrote down the letter 'N' in the second and last place, leaving the first blank for Pride's greatest sin.

The three decided that they would go to the four beasts to investigate, but Aiden remained behind, and as such was the only one to see Neridah break into the Diamond's room, steal the Diamond and run out again. Aiden couldn't let her escape so he stunned her as she escaped through the door. With a sigh he decided that he would wait until the others came back with the correct name, and then once the door opened he would drag Neridah back in.

When Lief, Barda and Jasmine returned there was a depressed weight on their shoulders. Aiden stood straighter upon their return, and cocked his head to the side in curiosity.

"His name is Endon," Lief whispered. "He was King Endon."

The glass door behind Aiden opened and he looked back at it once curiously before turning back to the trio.

"Evil has eaten him from within. Even Jarred would not recognise him now," Barda added. "Jarred always said that Endon was weak. Foolish and weak. Protected from the world, and used to flattery and power. But still he loved him, and tried to protect him. He saved Endon from the palace, and certain death. And for what? For this!"

"But how could Father know that Tora would refuse to help?" Lief asked desperately. "How could he know that Endon would turn to the dark side, to regain all he had lost?"

Aiden shook his head sadly. Already the three had forgotten what Doom had warned them. Not everything was as it first appeared, and while Doom had also been tricked, he now knew the truth. He let them bicker and walked through the glass door to where Neridah had tried to escape.

The woman was just outside the door, Diamond still clutched in her hands, but Aiden didn't doubt that she was dead. As his stunning spell had hit her, causing her to fall, her head had crashed open on a rock. A pool of blood surrounded her head like a halo, eyes clouded over in death, but even her final fate couldn't hide the expression of greed on her face. Aiden may have disliked the woman, but he hadn't wished death on her. For that he was sorry and bowed his head momentarily in mourning. He knelt down and pulled the Diamond from her hand, wincing slightly as his bracelet started to burn his wrist. He swapped hands and then reclined back on the door so that he could watch what was happening on the inside.

The Guardian was talking to the trio, and it appeared that he had figured out who they were. Pride, Greed, Hate and Envy charged at them, and after slipping the Gem into his pocket Aiden joined the fight. The beasts had self-healing capabilities, so instead of attacking them directly Aiden went for the cords. The Guardian's eyes were red and Aiden knew of his danger moments too late. His body stopped moving and one of the beasts charged at him. At the last moment Aiden threw up the strongest shield spell he could imagine. The beast fell backwards from the strength of the shield, and while Aiden was unaware of it, everyone else had seen how his eyes started to glow vibrant green, a cold light in the darkness.

Aiden broke through the spell and rushed at the Guardian, dodging the beasts as he did so. Lief called out warnings to him, but Aiden ignored him and jumped onto the Guardian's back. The Guardian spun around angrily, but Aiden had a plan. While the bracelet he was wearing wasn't as strong as the Belt, he had enough magic to break through the spell the Shadow Lord had on the man. Lief and Barda severed the cords that connected the beasts to the Guardian, and as Aiden forced more magic through his bracelet the palace around them began to break. The trio escaped through the door, only to discover the fate of Neridah.

The palace shattered and the next instant the valley was flooded with colour and blinding light. The air cleared, and from the clearing mist rose men, women and children who were staring at their hands in amazement, then at each other, and jumping around in joy. When the glass finished falling all that was left was a modest home protected by two large trees. Lief looked at the many men, women and children and remembered what the Guardian had told them. His whispered words had Barda and Jasmine looking back at the others in the valley.

"_The first of my subjects, the largest number, came to me in a great wind, the pride that had caused their fall still fresh within them_…Barda, Jasmine; I think that these people are the lost people of Tora."

"I think you're right Lief," Jasmine whispered, staring at the unchanged faces in shock. Barda nodded, but soon his gaze returned to what used to be the palace.

"Neridah stole the Gem," he stated. "And then she died before she could get far from the palace. But where is the Diamond now?"

"I'm sorry Lief," Jasmine continued, her eyes on Neridah. "If I had my way, no doubt we would be lying here or somewhere like it, ourselves. The curse – is strong."

"Strong enough for the Guardian not to fear theft," Barda said grimly. "The Diamond could be relied upon to act before the thief escaped the valley."

"So who took it from Neridah?" Jasmine asked. "And what happened to Aiden? He was still in the palace when it shattered."

Aiden was still in what used to be the palace, but he was not alone. The amount of magic he had used to break the spell had weakened him, and he was lying on the ground waiting for the ground to stop spinning. Sitting next to him was the man who had been the Guardian. He was now wearing a white robe and his beard was shorter. His eyes were now a clear blue and staring up at him Aiden could barely see any similarity between him and the Guardian.

"Are you able to move?" the man asked. Aiden shook his head with a morbid smile so instead the man helped him to sit, and then to stand. Aiden needed to rest his entire weight on the man as he was helped from the house. Lief was the first to notice him and rushed over to help him sit back on the ground once again in the sun. Aiden raised his head, eyes closed, to bask in the sun's warmth, and started when a cold hand rested on his forehead. Aiden opened his eyes and saw the former Guardian walk away so that the travelers could talk in privacy.

"You look awful Aiden," Jasmine told him. "Are you alright?"

Aiden smiled at her before pulling the Diamond from his pocket and giving it to Lief. It had completely slipped his mind what happened when the Gems were returned to the Belt, and as such was shocked when his bracelet once again exploded with light as he hadn't put his gloves back on. Jasmine pushed his sleeve up and gasped as she finally spotted the smaller version of the Belt of Deltora.

"Where'd you get that?" she asked. Aiden twisted his hand so that he was holding hers.

_It is my fate._

"Fate?"

"Aiden, that looks exactly like the Belt," Lief whispered. Aiden reached over and grabbed his hand, his strength fading fast.

_I was asked once how I knew that you had won each Gem. This is how I knew. Now, I'm going to pass out. I'll wake in a few hours, just leave me here._

"Aiden? Stay awake! Aiden!"

Aiden smiled as he fell into the beckoning darkness. The Belt was finally completed. But now there was one thing that concerned him: Lief was the Heir of Deltora, he had found all the Gems and restored the Belt, and he was wearing the Belt around his waist…so why hadn't the Belt glowed like the sun as the stories told? What were they missing?

* * *

_**Next up in Deltora's Protector:**_

_**Chapter 13 – The Joining of the Tribes**_


	13. The Joining of the Tribes

Deltora's Protector

Chapter 13 – The Joining of the Tribes

* * *

Previously on Deltora's Protector:

_Harry Potter was tortured for months in a prison known as the Island. During his stay he lost his voice and as such can no longer speak. A rescue attempt was made and while Harry managed to get out, it wasn't in England he returned to. He was washed ashore the western shore of Deltora and taken care of by Verity, the spirit girl of Bone Point Lighthouse. Shortly afterwards he met Steven, Nevets and Queen Bee. He was renamed Aiden and spent a few months recovering at Queen Bee's orchard. One day he snuck away to the City of the Rats and became the owner of a fine bracelet. Aiden joined Steven on his rounds and during his adventures became friends with the Ralads, a Dread Gnome, the Resistance and became an enemy of the Shadow Lord. _

_The seven Great Gems of Deltora have been returned to the Belt of Deltora. Aiden knows who the Heir is, but he doesn't understand why the Belt doesn't shine. Maybe reuniting the Tribes of Deltora will help?_

_His adventures continue..._

* * *

Aiden awoke after night had fallen, but even with the darkness of the night Aiden could tell that the mist was back. He lurched to his feet, regretted it as the ground beneath him shifted, and sank instead to his knees.

"_About time you woke up_," a soft voice hissed. Aiden looked to the ground and grinned as he spotted his Pinwheel Viper friend.

"_Sion, how long have you been down here?_"

"_The bird flew me and the furry thing down here once the mist disappeared. It's back now, but it is a good mist that doesn't harm us. The other three humans you went with are talking with more humans. They are worried about you, as am I. You don't look good by human standards._"

"_It's good to see you as well Sion,_" Aiden muttered and helped the snake curled around his neck. "_I believe it's time that I show them I am still living._"

Sion grumbled at his blasé attitude, but agreed with his decision. Aiden walked slowly so that he wouldn't embarrass himself by collapsing to the ground again, and thought over what it meant now that the Belt was completed. By all rights it should have glowed and pushed the Shadow Lord back to the Shadowlands, but it hadn't. Aiden stared at his bracelet, it was complete for the first time in nearly seventeen years, but there was something wrong with it. When he studied it he could sense that there was a block on his magic, that there was still a way to go before it was completed. He would need to look at the Belt to get a better idea on what was happening.

Aiden walked through the mist until he spotted his friends standing on the road with the man who was the Guardian, and two dark haired beings. They appeared to be waiting for something or someone, so Aiden also waited before revealing himself. However, once he saw that it was Doom and Dain walking towards them out of the mist there was nothing that could stop him from running towards the two. Doom caught him as he stumbled and frowned as he got a good look at his appearance.

"How is it that it's been a week since I last saw you, and you look like death warmed over?" Doom asked. Aiden grinned and shook his wrist, displaying all seven coloured Gems. Doom's face broke into a smile as he grabbed it, and he pushed Aiden back toward where Lief, Barda, Jasmine, the dark haired beings, and the former Guardian were watching with wide eyes.

"So, what is your real name?" Doom asked the former Guardian once they stopped walking. The man bowed his head in sorrow before looking up.

"My name is Fardeep, I am sorry for misleading you."

"If you don't mind me saying so, Doom, that's not how I expected you to act," Lief stated. "I anticipated that you would try to attack him."

"And I probably would have if I hadn't already regained my darkened memories."

"Is there a reason that you refused to tell us that you had been here before?" Jasmine asked. "Why did you not say that you believed the Guardian to be King Endon?"

Dain gasped in shock, but all Doom did was look down at Aiden curiously. Aiden shrugged as his legs started to shake. He still wasn't recovered from the earlier battle, and was moments away from sinking to the ground.

"Even _I _have some fine feelings," Doom answered Jasmine. "When I left this accursed valley I swore that never from my lips would my people learn what their King had become. They had suffered enough. Far better, I thought at the time, to let them believe he was dead. But then my memories returned and I told one person, who probably didn't tell you for a good reason."

Aiden grabbed onto Doom's wrist desperately even as everyone looked at him.

_I didn't tell them because the Diamond couldn't be won through tricks or violence. I saw telling them as cheating, and would have brought ill-will down on us all._

Doom repeated the statement, and Lief was the only one who understood straight away. He thought over the game, and grinned.

"You were telling us that answer anyway, weren't you? You found the clue, and gave us the answer to the third letter."

Aiden nodded and finally gave in by sinking to the ground. Alarm spread across everyone's faces, but Aiden waved them off, still holding onto Doom's wrist.

_Tell them that I'm just tired,_ he requested. _And I'm sorry about Neridah. I didn't want her dead; I just wanted her to stop. The Diamond was the last one and she was going to escape with it._

Doom repeated what Aiden wanted, before lifting him from the ground, frowning as he did so.

"You haven't been eating, again," he observed. Aiden shrugged even as he relaxed on Doom's shoulder. They were led further into the valley where a feast had been prepared, and Aiden learnt the name of the two others: Zeean and Peel of the Torans, who had been banished from Tora when they broke their vow to Adin's bloodline. As they walked Aiden moved his hand so that it was resting on Doom's neck, so that they could talk without the others listening in.

_Think your answers to me,_ Aiden began. _I don't want the others to know about this just yet._

_Know about what?_ Doom thought.

_Lief is wearing the completed Belt of Deltora, but it does not shine like I've heard in the stories,_ Aiden explained. _And my bracelet isn't complete. Sure, all the Gems are there, but there is something that still needs to be done. Do you have any ideas?_

_Not a one,_ Doom admitted thoughtfully. _I have to admit though, that I have never thought about it before. Give me a minute to think about it. I assume that since it hasn't shone you don't want Lief to know that he's the Heir?_

_He's not ready to accept that yet,_ Aiden stated. _I need to look at the Belt, properly, maybe it can tell me something…_

_I'll follow your lead in this Aiden,_ Doom promised._ I will do anything to free Deltora from the Shadow Lord._

A collection of tables had been set up a little further into the mist, and once Aiden was set down Doom put a moderately full plate of food in front of him. By this Aiden knew that arguing was pointless, so he just started to eat and listened to the conversation around him.

"Doom," Lief stated suddenly. "How did recovering your memories let you know that Fardeep wasn't Endon?"

"That's right," Jasmine exclaimed. "Do you have all your memories back?"

"You have them back and didn't tell anyone?" Dain asked, slightly hurt. "Did you tell Aiden?"

"My memories are my own, Dain," Doom scolded. "Who I tell is my business. But yes, because I have my memories I know that Fardeep wasn't Endon, couldn't have been."

"How?" Lief asked.

"Endon was my friend, before I was taken to the Shadowlands. I haven't seen him since the night the Belt was destroyed, but I know that he is still alive and well. I have recently received word that he still lives in hiding with Sharn."

"You knew Endon?" Barda asked in shock. "Does that mean that you know who the Heir is?"

Doom hesitated and quickly exchanged glances with Aiden. Aiden shook his head slightly, and stared at Lief. Everyone at the table had seen the exchange and wondered about it for different reasons.

"I have my suspicions," Doom finally revealed. "But nothing concrete. Ever since my memories started to return I've been looking for Endon's son, but he is well hidden. If my memories weren't back I would never have guessed it. It was a brilliant plan."

"So Endon had a son?" Lief asked. "Do you remember your name before you were Doom?"

"I do, but for the purpose of secrecy, I will remain as Doom for now."

Aiden could see Lief thinking through the new information that he had been given. He wondered what conclusions he was coming up with, but when he sensed Doom's eyes on him he looked up. Doom indicated the still half full plate with an unspoken order to eat. He did as instructed, not that he wanted to, and as soon as he had finished he felt like he would burst. The others on the table had finished long before him, but they waited seeming to sense that if they moved Aiden wouldn't eat anything else.

Once everything was finished, however, they moved to an open area and formed a circle. Dain was sent to fetch Steven, much to Aiden's delight, and the peddler joined them. There was a brief moment of panic when Nevets made an appearance, most having never met Nevets before or only having met him when he was violent, but all the larger brother did was pull Aiden up into a hug and sit down with him on his lap. Introductions were given again, but Nevets didn't seem interested in anyone else except for the boy in his lap.

"So, before anything is discussed, may I assume that your quest has been successful?" Steven asked. Lief looked at him uncertainly, but Aiden waved his wrist around with a broad grin. Steven gently took his hand and counted the Gems, before turning to Lief and congratulating him.

"How much did you know of our quest?" Lief asked.

"Aiden's bracelet informed us all on his sixteenth birthday that you had gained the Topaz."

"Your birthday is one day after mine!" Lief observed. "I wouldn't have guessed that you were sixteen. You look younger."

Aiden scrunched up his face in distaste; he hated the fact that he still looked younger than his actual age, and blamed that on his aunt and uncle more than anyone.

"Anyway," Steven continued having noticed how uncomfortable Aiden was with the attention on his age. "Aiden was very interested in meeting you so he went off alone. That was the last that I saw him, though he went back to the orchard several times. I kept up-to-date with the quest by asking our mother, and keeping an ear out from news of certain travelers."

"Where do rumors say that we are?" Barda asked curiously.

"Last I heard you were heading towards the Maze of the Beast."

"So we have some time yet," Lief mused. Steven nodded in confirmation before focusing all his attention on Lief.

"May I see the Belt?" he asked. "I have told Aiden about it so many times, but where he has probably seen it, both in reality and those visions of his, I have never seen it."

Lief removed the Belt from his waist and everyone leant forward in amazement. It was a thing of beauty, and Aiden was able to acknowledge that even though it wasn't completed. He tilted his head to the side as he studied it, his own bracelet pulsed in time with the heat from the Belt, and it wasn't until Zeean asked to see the bracelet did Aiden pull his sleeve up again to show it off.

"This bracelet was made from the same material as the Belt," she concluded softly. "But the Gems, they look like they come from the Great Gems."

"What do you mean?" Lief asked. "Each of these Gems are smooth."

"I cannot tell you how I know, but what I said is true," Zeean promised. "Our legends tell us that after he had completed his quest, Adin created a bracelet for his companion, giving him the power of the land and the title of Protector. The Protector put many different spells and enchantments on the bracelet, but we know not what they are."

Aiden thought that was pretty cool and he had already figured that the bracelet's power was directly linked to the state of the Belt. He wondered how the Protector had felt when the Kings of Deltora stopped wearing the Belt and its magic began to wither away. He supposed that was why the last Protector had hidden the bracelet in the City of the Rats, to wait for a time when Deltora would be united once more.

_That's it_, Aiden thought. He slid of Nevets lap and sat in front of Lief, holding out his hands for the Belt. Lief hesitated, but still placed the Belt in Aiden's hands. Aiden closed his eyes and sent his own magic into the Belt, questioning it as to why it was not yet complete. Images flashed through his mind's eye as the Belt began to glow, and when he opened his eyes again he knew part of what they had to do. He returned the Belt to Lief with a nod of his head and scurried over to Doom so that the man could speak for him.

"Aiden says that while the Belt has each Gem, it isn't complete until the Tribes of Deltora are also united. The magic of the Belt is linked to the land, so it needs the support of the Tribes, the blessing of the land, and the bloodline of Adin."

"We should be able to find a representative of each Tribe," Peel said. "The blessing of the land though, how does one get that?"

"The Protector must approve of the Heir," Steven stated. "That should also be possible depending on who the Heir is."

"You know who the Protector is?" Barda asked in shock. "Deltora hasn't had a Protector for hundreds of years now."

"Will uniting the Tribes reveal the Heir?" Lief asked. He looked at Aiden curiously, but Aiden shook his head in warning. If the others hadn't figured out that he was the Protector from the information already given, than he would keep a secret for a little while longer. "It seems that we can't worry about who the Protector is until we find the Heir. We won't succeed without him."

"What are the Tribes of Deltora?" Jasmine asked.

"There are seven, one for each Gem," Zeean explained. "We people of Tora were one of the seven. Our Talisman is the Amethyst."

"I am of the Mere," Fardeep admitted. "My Talisman is the Lapis Lazuli."

"Nevets and I are of the Plains people," Steven stated. "The Opal is our Talisman."

"The Ralads' Talisman is the Ruby," Doom continued. "Let's see, the Del Tribe has the Topaz, the Jalis had the Diamond and the Dread Gnomes had the Emerald."

"Does anyone know a Jalis?" Lief asked. "Manus of the Ralads, and Gla-Thon of the Dread Gnomes could represent their Tribes, but I don't know of any Jalis."

"The Jalis were wiped out," Dain explained. "Every last one of them. The Shadow Lord didn't want them to raise an army against him. I don't know of any who still live."

"I do," Doom admitted. Then he smiled. "He would certainly liven up the proceedings. A man most of you would know as Glock."

Aiden laughed at the horror that appeared on Lief, Barda and Jasmine's faces. He went back over to Nevets and sat back on his lap. The usually violent man wrapped his arms around him and all that could be seen of the boy was his head. Details of how to get a message to each of the absent Tribes began, and a final meeting place of Withick Mire was decided upon. They all walked to the path so that they could leave immediately.

"Alright, as you three are the most noticeable, you will be going with Steven in the back of his caravan," Doom explained, pointing to Lief, Barda and Jasmine. "Fardeep, Zeean and Dain, you will come with me overland. Aiden…"

He trailed off as he spotted Aiden on top of Steven's caravan. It wasn't just catching up with his "brothers" that encouraged Aiden to use the main road; it was also because he knew that he had to go with Lief. Doom nodded with a smile before turning to a few other Torans. Peel, and two younger Torans, would be playing the part of decoys for Lief, Barda and Jasmine, to draw the Shadow Lord's attention west. Kree had already flown off carrying a golden arrow tip to Dread Mountain, and Steven had already sent off a swarm of bees to Raladin.

"Aiden!" Doom called. Aiden slid off the wagon roof and stood in front of Doom. The man led him away from everyone and knelt down so that they couldn't be heard.

"Steven and Nevets are strong enough to protect those three, but I want you to be extra careful. I have a really bad feeling about what we're about to do."

_I will be careful,_ Aiden promised. _But you must also be careful. When will you speak with Jasmine?_

"Currently Lief is under the belief that I am Endon," Doom admitted with a smile. "It's safer at the moment if they continue to believe that, and that I have been looking for my son. It will draw attention away from Lief, though the fact that not one of them has figured out he's the Heir puzzles me. The Belt has only reacted to him and to you."

_He's spent his whole life believing that his father is naught but a blacksmith who was betrayed by Endon. He needs to hear it from his father that Endon and his heir have been living right under the Shadow Lord's nose for sixteen years._

"Good luck Aiden," Doom whispered. "We need you to free this land as well."

Aiden darted back to the caravan, waving as he did so. The trio were already in the caravan, so Aiden leapt onto the roof and pulled out his flute. Now that he was on top of a mobile store he was free to play as much music as he wanted to attract customers. As they departed all that could be heard were Aiden's music and Steven's lyrics. The trio would be sick of it in no time.

"_Once there was an Ol-io,_

_Jolly-wolly Ol-io,_

_Once there was an Ol-io,_

_Fearsome as could be!_"

_I said to that Ol-io,_

_Jolly-wolly Ol-io,_

_I said to that Ol-io,_

_You don't bother me!_"

_Colly-wobble Ol-io,_

_Jolly-wobble Ol-io,_

_Colly-wobble Ol-io,_

_You don't bother me!_"

* * *

Steven kept them traveling throughout most of the night, stopping a few hours before dawn so that he could rest. Aiden slept on the roof of the caravan all night, and when he woke he noticed that someone had dropped a blanket over his body so that he wouldn't get cold. Lief, Barda and Jasmine were stretched out on the ground, dead to the world, and Steven was propped up against a tree. There were still an hour before sunrise, but Aiden was unwilling to sleep.

"_You should still be sleeping Aiden_," Sion hissed from where he was keeping watch at the end of the caravan. "_The other humans are still sleeping._"

"_I am confused about the Belt,_" Aiden admitted. He told Sion all his concerns, identifying Lief as the future King of Deltora, and the snake took in the information silently. Sion agreed that uniting the Tribes was important, but other than that he didn't know what was wrong.

"Aiden, what are you doing up?" Steven asked. Aiden looked down at his brother with a smile, accepting the bowl of food being held up to him. Steven shook his head in amusement and started to pack up their campsite so they could travel again. Lief, Barda and Jasmine reluctantly piled into the caravan again after the sun had risen, and Aiden returned to playing flute. He was only able to keep up his tune for a short while however, and curled up to sleep once more with the sun blanketing him.

"What happened to Aiden that made him so exhausted?" Steven asked once he was sure Aiden was sleeping. The trio in the caravan exchanged glances.

"He used some kind of magic to defeat the Guardian in the valley," Lief explained. "He passed out afterwards for several hours."

"Ah, Aiden," Steven lamented. "Why must you always put others before yourself?"

"What do you mean?" Jasmine asked.

"You haven't noticed?" Steven asked. "Aiden has very little self-worth. He is under the belief that his life means very little in comparison to another's life. He jumps into danger because he believes that he can protect those around him."

"But he can," Jasmine stated. "Aiden is a very capable fighter, and when he really means it, I don't believe that any one of us would be able to defeat him."

"Aiden hates fighting," Lief added. "But you're right, both of you. Aiden is very capable, but also very reluctant."

"He has a 'saving people thing', I believe he called it," Steven continued. "I think that his relatives instilled in him that he would never amount to anything. Nothing that we say or do will change that belief in him. It's quite frustrating actually."

"That might explain why he didn't fight back when he was in Del," Lief mused thoughtfully. "By fighting back, he could have angered the Grey Guards and they in turn would have been tougher on the other prisoners."

"When I was a palace guard," Barda began. "We had a term for people like Aiden. It is 'a bleeding heart'. A person who feels the pain of others around them, and does their best to take away that pain."

"That's Aiden," Steven agreed. "A protector of life."

"Protector…" Lief mused. "I thought about it before, especially with the looks everyone keeps sending his way, but is Aiden Deltora's Protector?"

"Any person who wears that bracelet has the title of Protector," Steven explained. "When you find the Heir, and when it comes down to it, Aiden will be the one who decides whether or not the Heir is worthy of being King."

"What if he refuses?" Jasmine asked. "We would have done all this for nothing then!"

"It wouldn't be for nothing," Steven denied. "You three have done more for this country than any King, aside from Adin, ever has. The Tribes will be united again, hope exists with the people, and the enemy is feeling fear. It wasn't for nothing."

"Well, I hope that Aiden supports the Heir," Barda muttered.

"Oh, he will," Steven whispered. "He will…

"_Once there was an Ol-io,_

_Jolly-wolly Ol-io,_

_Once there was an Ol-io,_

_Fearsome as could be!_"

_I said to that Ol-io,_

_Jolly-wolly Ol-io,_

_I said to that Ol-io,_

_You don't bother me!_"

* * *

Days later Aiden was just about completely recovered, and the three in the caravan were going stir crazy. Aiden estimated that there would probably arrive in Withick Mire that night. At that moment in time he was sitting on Mellow, the horse's back and reading _The Belt of Deltora_ that Lief had let him borrow. There was a lot of detailed information in it, but the one section that needed more detail was the one they needed most.

**Each gem has its own magic, but together the seven make a spell that is far more powerful than the sum of its parts. Only the Belt of Deltora, complete as it was first fashioned by Adin and worn by Adin's true heir, has the power to defeat the Enemy.**

It told the reader exactly what they needed to know, but gave no information about how to make it work. It was very frustrating, and Aiden wished for a moment that Hermione was next to him as she would be able to figure out what they needed. With a sigh he went back and read it again.

"_Be prepared for flight or fight._

_Ol-io, Ol-io!_

_Gripper field lies to the right,_

_Ahead are Guard-ios._"

Aiden looked up and cursed as he spotted the pod of Grey Guards. On the left side of the road was a cliff face, sheer and steep, impossible to escape up. On the right side of the road was a gripper field, and Aiden knew that unless they wanted to become plant food they would be unable to escape that way either. With the road being as narrow as it was, it was also impossible to turn the caravan around. That left fighting.

"Aiden, get back over here," Steven ordered as he pulled the caravan to a halt behind the line of caravans that were being inspected. Aiden leapt from Mellow's back and scurried to the back of the caravan where Lief, Barda and Jasmine were climbing out.

"I will distract them, try and get away."

"We can fight," Jasmine insisted.

"No, you are too close to the end of your quest to get killed now and besides, Doom would have my head if I let anything happen to you."

Aiden grabbed Lief's hand and started to pull him under the caravan. Barda and Jasmine followed him, but all four knew that it was only a matter of time until they were caught. Lief pulled the cloak over the four of them, and Aiden shivered as he felt the magic come alive. He hadn't asked Lief where he had gotten his cloak after all that, and now he was curious. He turned slightly so that he could ask him telepathically.

"My mother made it for me," Lief whispered. "Why?"

_It's full of magic, wanted to know how you had gotten it._

Barda cautioned them to be silent, so Lief didn't reply. Aiden strained his eyes and followed Steven's progress. It appeared that the man's plan was to sell some of his _Queen Bee Cider_ to the Guards. Aiden knew that they couldn't stay there, even now the Guards were talking about different forms of entertainment they could create, and one had even started to move towards Mellow.

"Let's push it into the gripper field!"

An answer of positive cries echoed from the numerous Guards, and one cry of denial from Steven. Aiden slipped from the protective cloak before the others could stop him and shimmied up to the roof of the caravan. Before anyone realised that he was there he leapt forward and plunged his dagger into the Grey Guard's neck. He dropped like a stone as Aiden rolled free, pulling his dagger from the Guard's neck as he did so. Battle cries sprung up, and Aiden and Steven joined the battle wholeheartedly.

Lief, Barda and Jasmine joined them moments later, and then Nevets leapt free to fight as well. Aiden had only ever seen Nevets fight once before, but he hadn't been close enough at the time to truly appreciate it. Now however, Nevets was throwing Guard after Guard into the gripper fields, their screams sending chills down Aiden's neck as they were eaten alive. Both Steven and Aiden were safe from Nevets' rage, but the other three weren't. Before they could blink Nevets threw Barda into the gripper field, where Aiden chased him, using his magic to float over the deadly plants. Barda's pained screams died off as Aiden reached him, but the man was still able to help a little as Aiden tried to pull him out.

Steven restrained his brother, and Lief pulled out the Belt. Nevets recognised the opal, the Great Gem of his people, and calmed down. But he didn't disappear back into Steven's body. He instead ran out into the gripper fields after Aiden and helped him to pull Barda free of the plants. Once Barda was free and balancing on Aiden's back did Nevets disappear to heal. Aiden struggled to get back to the road, but once he was within arm distance, Steven, Lief and Jasmine helped him get Barda flat. They were unable to linger, so they piled into the caravan again with Steven leading them away with all haste. Aiden reluctantly jumped into the caravan and like he had done with Gla-Thon he sent all his healing energy into Barda. Before the eyes of Lief and Jasmine, Barda's wounds began to close and stop bleeding. Aiden collapsed against Lief and quickly informed them that while he had healed the wounds, Barda had still lost a lot of blood and would need a lot of rest before he was back at full strength.

When he was sure that the two understood, he crawled from the caravan and went to sit with Steven. Steven took one look at his exhausted form and wrapped and around him, making sure that he wouldn't fall from the caravan if he passed out.

Hours later, shortly after the sun had set, a familiar but horrible smell reached Aiden's nose. He opened his eyes, not aware that he had closed them, and grinned as the familiar trash heap of Withick Mire came into view. Lief and Jasmine expressed their disgust, as did everyone who appeared in this place, but they got out of the caravan to walk the rest of the way. Steven carried Barda, who was still unconscious, and Aiden walked with Lief and Jasmine on either side of him, supporting him.

A ragged scavenger approached them, leaning heavily on a stick. He offered them shelter, and Aiden giggled as he recognised Doom. The scavenger looked at him with a wink, before leading to way towards the Resistance stronghold. Mellow followed them on her own, having been to the trash mound before.

Once inside the Resistance stronghold Doom removed his disguise and helped move Barda into one of the rooms. Steven went out again to hide Mellow and the caravan, and Aiden led his friends to another room that had long ago been designated the "meeting room." Many crates were scattered around and Aiden sat on one of them gratefully.

"Aiden! You are alive! We were expecting you yesterday!"

Aiden blinked and then smiled as he recognised Jinks. The cowardly acrobat must have journeyed with Glock to get to Withick Mire, no doubt wanting a change of scenery.

"And you brought the escapees with you!" Jinks continued. "Where is dear old Barda the Bear? We did not get to speak when we last met."

"He's recovering in another room," Lief explained. "We had a bit of trouble with the gripper fields."

"And if he is still alive Aiden must have saved his life," Jinks stated with a nod. "No wonder you look exhausted, again."

"Why do you say that?" Jasmine asked.

"Aiden is always trying to help people, even at the cost of his own health," Jinks explained as he leapt up to sit next to Aiden. "I have heard many things about him in the Resistance, and one of those things is that he is a miracle healer."

"He is certainly strong," Jasmine agreed hesitantly. Aiden grinned at her before lying back on the crate. The next few days would have the rest of the Tribes gather, and then the Heir would be revealed. He had decided…Lief would be revealed as the Heir.

* * *

Several days later the representatives of the seven tribes had gathered in Withick Mire. Barda had recovered most of his strength, though the blood loss was annoying him. Aiden waved away his thanks and merely warned him that his strength was still needed in the upcoming battle. Manus was relieved that Aiden was alright, and had many messages from his village requesting that he visit again now that they could speak to him. His companion, Nanion of D'Or had been happy to see Aiden as well. Nanion was the true form of Soldeen, and Aiden took the time to thank him for not eating him when he had the chance…much to the amusement of all who were listening.

Gla-Thon had been the most excited upon seeing him, however, as she had launched herself at him with a laugh.

"Well I never imagined that I would see you here Aiden," she stated. "Your message in regards to those travelers was much appreciated. I couldn't tell if they were for real or not! They were moments away from being turned into fly food."

Aiden grinned at the image before turning to Gla-Thon's companion. The flying marsupial, who introduced herself as Ailsa of the Kin, was another ally of the Dread Gnomes, and loyal to Lief for helping them return home. Aiden felt warm at the thought of all the allies Lief had made on his journey. He truly was a natural leader and the rightful King.

The ceremony took place the day after everyone had arrived. The bulk of the Resistance who were in Withick Mire were sitting in on the ceremony, wanting to know who the Heir was, but Doom stood to the back with Aiden beside him. Each representative rested their hand on the Belt and identified themselves by name and Tribe.

"I, Zeean of Tora, am here."

"And I, Gla-Thon of the Dread Gnomes."

"Fardeep, of the Mere."

"Steven, of the Plains."

"Manus, for the Ralad people."

"I am Glock, last of the Jalis."

"Lief, of Del."

Aiden wondered if he should have also been up there, putting magic into the ceremony as the Protector, but Doom had held him back. Instead he watched from a distance as the magic of the Belt increased. Zeean continued the ceremony.

"Together we, representatives of the seven tribes, renew our ancient vow to unite under the power of the Belt of Deltora, and swear loyalty to Adin's rightful heir."

"We swear," the seven repeated. Aiden gasped as the magic in the room increased, and grasped his head to dull the pounding. Doom looked at him in concern, but Aiden waved him off. He knew what he had to do.

He walked forward through the crowd of witnesses, drawing everyone's attention to him, and he pointed at Lief as he came to a stop. The magic from the Belt became visible to everyone in the room as it shot up and wrapped around Lief in a warm cocoon of light. There were gasps from everyone as the Belt identified the rightful Heir of Adin. Lief was staring at Aiden in shock, confusion and fear, but all Aiden did was bow his head.

"But how?" Lief asked.

"Was it not the greatest plan?" Doom asked from the back of the room. "Jarred and Endon were best friends, but it was important that Endon's son be raised as one of the people. So the real Jarred and Anna left Del, heading towards Tora, whilst Endon and Sharn took on the names Jarred and Anna, and raised their son as a blacksmith. Who would have guessed it? But remember, Adin was a blacksmith before he was a King."

"What happened to the real Jarred and Anna then?" asked Barda.

"The people of Tora refused us sanctuary," Doom continued, smiling as realization appeared on many faces. "So instead Anna and I went east. We made our home, in the Forest of Silence."

"But that means…" Jasmine started. "You're my…"

"When Aiden helped me to regain my memories, the first thing that I did was return to the Forest to find you, my beautiful daughter," Doom confessed. "But you had already joined Lief and Barda, and despite how much I still wanted to protect you, what you were doing would save us all. So I took a step back."

Aiden rolled his eyes and pulled back the magic of the Belt. The lack of light returned everyone's attention to the front of the room, to where Lief hadn't moved. Aiden walked further forward so that he was standing in the circle, and then glanced down at the Belt. His eye brows furrowed in confusion as he noticed that the Ruby was pale pink and the Emerald was dull. Lief followed his gaze and gasped.

"Danger approaches!"

The roof above them caved in and everyone leapt out of the way. A giant red monster stood in the middle of the room, and an opal vision flashed through Aiden's mind and he leapt at Lief protectively. As quickly as he could, he cast a protective shield over his body.

_I will find you, my King_, he promised. Lief nodded as he heard the message.

And then the monster was behind him and he was flying through the air. Aiden looked up in time to see that Lief was being held in the monster's hand, but it was the monster who was screaming in pain. The shield that Aiden had cast was similar to the one that protected him from evil. The monster couldn't bear to touch him. Unfortunately, the spell wasn't strong enough to burn the monster to ash, it just caused him pain. The monster leapt through the hole in the roof and started to run towards Del, Lief's cries for help echoing after him.

"Lief!" Barda and Jasmine called in despair. Aiden climbed out of the rubble around him and shook off the dust. He walked over to the where the Belt had fallen and slipped it over his shoulder like a sash. He may have imagined it, but he could feel that the Belt was sad that Lief was gone. He stared at it for a long moment before looking up at those around him. His eyes were once again glowing green, but instead of freezing everyone in their boots, he gave them hope and determination.

The final battle for Deltora was about to begin.

* * *

_**Next up in Deltora's Protector:**_

_**Chapter 14 – The Fate of the Shadows**_


	14. The Fate of the Shadows

Deltora's Protector

Chapter 14 – The Fate of the Shadows

* * *

Previously on Deltora's Protector:

_Harry Potter was tortured for months in a prison known as the Island. During his stay he lost his voice and as such can no longer speak. A rescue attempt was made and while Harry managed to get out, it wasn't in England he returned to. He was washed ashore the western shore of Deltora and taken care of by Verity, the spirit girl of Bone Point Lighthouse. Shortly afterwards he met Steven, Nevets and Queen Bee. He was renamed Aiden and spent a few months recovering at Queen Bee's orchard. One day he snuck away to the City of the Rats and became the owner of a fine bracelet. Aiden joined Steven on his rounds and during his adventures became friends with the Ralads, a Dread Gnome, the Resistance and became an enemy of the Shadow Lord. _

_The seven Great Gems of Deltora have been returned to the Belt of Deltora. Lief of Del has been identified as Heir, but before he could be formally presented with the Belt he is captured by the Monster Ichabod. A rescue attempt is now underway._

_The final battle for Deltora is about to begin..._

* * *

"We have been betrayed, there is no other explanation for it!" Gla-Thon hissed as they started to dig their way out of the former stronghold.

"What was it?" Fardeep asked in horror.

"It was Ichabod!" Jasmine revealed. "The last of Thaegan's horrible children, and the most wicked."

"I don't care who it was," Doom snapped. "We must dig our way out of here and give chase! Every moment we delay brings Lief closer to death."

"He is dead already," Glock growled, but not unkindly. "The monster will by now have torn him limb from limb."

"He would if he could bear to touch him," Barda announced. Aiden was by his side and using the man to talk. "Aiden is protecting Lief at this very moment by making sure that nothing of evil intentions can touch him. Without the Belt on his waist, Lief is vulnerable."

"I heard that monster scream in pain," Manus pointed out. "When he held Lief, it was like he couldn't stand the pain."

"He has a high pain tolerance," Barda continued to translate. "But he will not be able to harm Lief."

"Where are they going?" Zeean asked. Everyone's eyes looked to Aiden and he stared back at them, sending another thought Barda's way.

"To Del."

"Then we must go and rescue him at once!" Dain exclaimed. "Why do we delay?"

"Ichabod knew exactly where we were," Steven announced with a moan. A large piece of the roof had fallen on him, but with Nevets protecting him he only had a few bruises. "I agree with Gla-Thon. One of us is a traitor."

Aiden agreed as well, but had no idea how to figure out who it was. He undid the Belt and laid it flat on the ground. The Ruby was still pink, though not as pale as previously, and the Emerald was also dull. Lief had known exactly what it meant, but as he wasn't here Aiden pulled _The Belt of Deltora_ from his pocket and opened it to where the Gems were written.

**Diamonds…give courage and strength, protect from pestilence and help the cause of true love.**

**The Amethyst…calms and sooths. It changes colour in the presence of illness, loses colour near poisoned food or drink…**

**The Topaz protects its wearer from the terrors of the night. It has the power to open doors into the spirit world. It strengthens and clears the mind…**

**The Emerald…dulls in the presence of evil, and when a vow is broken. It is a remedy for sores and ulcers, and an antidote to poison.**

**The great Ruby…grows pale in the presence of evil, or when misfortune threatens the wearer. It wards off evil spirits, and is antidote to snake venom.**

**The Opal…has the power to give glimpses of the futures, and to aid those with weak sight…The Opal has a special relationship with the Lapis Lazuli, the heavenly stone, a powerful talisman.**

_So,_ Aiden thought as he finished the passages. _Danger is still here, even though Ichabod is nearing the city of Del. That means the spy is still here._

Aiden's opal had helped him in the past, but he needed something more powerful. He reached towards the Opal on the Belt, unaware of everyone's eyes on him, and let the Gem pull him into a vision. His eyes closed as images flashed through his mind, and when he opened them he gasped in shock. Jasmine put her hand on his, and Barda placed his on his shoulder.

"Lief never liked to use the Opal," Jasmine told him. "He never sees anything good."

Aiden nodded and did his best to suppress a shiver. His little opal at least gave him hope; the Great Opal however, gave the most accurate warnings. And now he knew what it was that he needed to do. From his pocket he pulled a vial of venom he had acquired from Sion, and then his dagger from his boot sheath. His gloves were returned to his hands and he carefully coated the dagger with the venom, being careful not to get any on his skin. Sion's venom was potent, and while it worked quicker being injected directly into the bloodstream, it could also be absorbed through the skin and the result would be the same. The only ones who weren't killed by Sion's venom so far were the Grey Guards, but they were knocked out for several hours.

"What are you doing?" Jasmine asked as he returned the venom to his pocket. Aiden balanced the dagger on his palm, thinking about what he had to do next. Before any plan was created they needed to get rid of the spy. That was why he had coated his dagger in venom. He had to make sure that the spy was dead before anyone could stop him. He asked if anyone had a map of Del, and Manus brought forward a detailed map of the palace and the secret passage ways. Everyone crowded and around the map and Aiden found himself next to Dain. He reached over with a now ungloved hand so that he could speak without the others paying attention.

_How long have you been feeding information to the Shadow Lord?_

Dain stiffened but didn't say a word. Doom, Jasmine and Barda looked at him curiously, and then in concern having caught Dain's expression. Aiden turned to face Dain, ignoring the others around him.

_You can think your answers to me, I will be able to hear them,_ Aiden continued. _What was your plan? Were you hoping to be named as the Heir? That wasn't going to happen._

_I was created for that very purpose!_ Dain thought back furiously. _I almost had it. Lief would have named me as Adin's Heir and my Master would have won._

_You really think that as the Protector of this land, I would have allowed this Belt to fall into your possession? You truly are a misguided one. How much does the Shadow Lord know?_

"Everything," Dain said aloud. Aiden nodded, a little sad, before rapidly grabbing the Belt and snapping it around Dain's waist. Dain screamed in pain as the power of the Belt fought against the evil that was inside him. Everyone in the room shrank back in horror as Dain's form started to melt. Aiden could hear others cursing, but all he did was plunge his dagger into Dain's heart, on his right side, where heart of an Ol was.

"You…have already…lost," Dain uttered. "Long…live…the…Shadow…Lord."

Aiden set Dain's melting body on fire, and stepped back with a nod at his handiwork. Once the fire started to die down Aiden grabbed the Belt and held it loosely in his hands. Doom came up behind him and placed his hands on his shoulders.

"How did you know?" he asked. Aiden pointed to the Opal.

_I've never liked Dain, _Aiden told him. _There's always been something about him that hasn't appealed to me. But I never assumed that he was an ally of the Shadow Lord. It had been his plan to be thought of as Heir so that he could give the Belt to the Shadow Lord, and then hope would be lost forever._

"But now Lief has been taken," Doom muttered. "And protection or not, we need to get to Del right now."

* * *

A mere hour later the group was headed towards Del. Doom, Glock, and Zeean were taking one road; Fardeep, Gla-Thon, Nanion and Manus were to leave after them; and Steven would bring Aiden, Barda and Jasmine to Del in his caravan. Ailsa had promised to follow them later, but she was waiting for the rest of the Kin and Dread Gnomes. The Resistance would get as close to Del as they could and then once the signal was given they would storm the gates and fight for their freedom.

Jasmine had been really reluctant to go with Steven. She wanted to go with Doom, with her father, but he had promised her that as soon as the battle was over they would have all the time in the world to talk. He had whispered something in her ear before they set out, and Aiden figured that it had been something sentimental as both had tears in their eyes.

Aiden had the Belt wrapped around his waist, have been nominated to get it back to Lief. Across his shoulders was Lief's cloak, and wrapped around his wrist was Sion. As soon as they made it inside Del, Sion wanted to go and bite the Grey Guards. Aiden liked the plan and knew that the snake wanted some action. But while he waited he had _The Belt of Deltora_ open in front of him. The one passage was taunting him and he knew that the answer was in it.

**Each gem has its own magic, but together the seven make a spell that is far more powerful than the sum of its parts. Only the Belt of Deltora, complete as it was first fashioned by Adin and worn by Adin's true heir, has the power to defeat the Enemy.**

"I have a question," Jasmine revealed from inside the caravan. Aiden knocked on the roof to show that he listening and she continued. "Well, since Lief is the heir, why didn't the Belt shine?"

"I have been thinking about that as well," Barda admitted. "My conclusion is that there is something wrong with the Belt."

"All the Gems are real," Steven stated. "Aiden's bracelet wouldn't have lit up if it had been false."

"What else could it be?" Jasmine asked. "Every Gem was added to the Belt in the order they were found! We faced every danger, and the Belt has helped us every step of the way."

Aiden gasped half way through Jasmine's rant. Steven looked at him curiously but Aiden ignored him. He shut the book with a snap and stared at the picture of the Belt on the front. The answer was in front of them the whole time. The Gems were in the wrong order! They needed to be rearranged so that it went: Diamond, Emerald, Lapis Lazuli, Topaz, Opal, Ruby, Amethyst. The first letter of each Gem is what gave the land its name.

DELTORA

Aiden almost laughed. The secret to the Resistance passwords was exactly the same. All one had to do was take the first letter from each word and put it together to create the password. In this case the Belt of Deltora was literally the Belt of DELTORA.

"Aiden? What happened? Get over here," Steven ordered. Aiden did as he was bid and showed the front cover of the book to the peddler, pointing out the order of each of the Gems.

"So the Gems are in the wrong order?" Steven asked. "Something so small, we'll have to fix it when we stop."

Aiden shook his head. It would be the last test for the future King. He needed to make it right; he needed to feel the power that the correct order would produce. Steven frowned, not agreeing with Aiden's decision, but abiding by it all the same.

* * *

Del's border was visible just over an hour later. Aiden, Jasmine and Barda separated from Steven and snuck into the city using Lief's cloak. Steven joined the cue so that his caravan and their supplies were accessible at a later time. Aiden was only a little worried when he noticed how deserted the city was, and how the Grey Guards were herding stragglers in the direction of the palace.

"This isn't good," Barda whispered. "Hear those bells? They summon every citizen of Del to the palace, to the Place of Punishment. An execution is about the take place."

"Then we should go there too," Jasmine insisted. "It will be Lief they are about to execute."

Aiden disagreed to a point. Yes, they needed to go to the Place of Punishment, but at the same time Dain had known they were organising a rescue attempt. He may have contacted the Shadow Lord, moments before his death, and this could be a trap that the Enemy orchestrated. He said nothing however and willingly walked to the Place of Punishment.

Once he was there he split from the other two and made his way around the outside of the crowd. Barda and Jasmine went the other way, looking for a way to get closer to the platform.

On the platform were two hooded figures, but even from a distance Aiden recognised Endon, which meant that the woman next to him was Sharn. Between the two was what appeared to be a large cauldron of scolding oil. He shuddered, it was a painful way to go. In the crowd Aiden was unable to see any other member of their group, even though they should have already arrived. There was no sign of Fallow, but Aiden dropped Sion near the closest pod of Grey Guards. The snake would make his move when the time was right, but until then he would wait eagerly.

_Where are you, Lief?_ Aiden thought. He pulled the hood of the cloak up again, its invisibility activating, and hurried through an open door he was sure would lead down to the dungeons. He was able to slip passed the Grey Guards easily, and as soon as he was in the dungeons he dropped the cloak's hood, canceling the invisibility, and looked through the doors.

"Aiden? Is that you?"

Aiden stared at Manus in confusion. He tilted his head to the side even as his eyes focused on the lock imprisoning him. That meant that Gla-Thon, Fardeep and Nanion were also present.

"Aiden, get us out of here," Gla-Thon requested.

"We were caught at the gate," Fardeep explained as Aiden blew apart the lock keeping Manus imprisoned. He went around to the others and did the same to their locks and pointed back the way that they needed to go. He grabbed Fardeep's arm and asked him the one question he truly wanted to know.

_Where's Lief? Was he down here with you?_

"We have not seen him," Fardeep told him. "They must be keeping him somewhere else."

Aiden sighed in annoyance. He started to lead the group back up again, but before he could go too far a Grey Guard appeared swinging his sword. The only reason Aiden wasn't decapitated was because he had thrown himself backwards at the last minute. As such only the tip of the blade ripped across his neck. The Grey Guard was soon killed by Gla-Thon and the other three crowded around Aiden, applying pressure to his bleeding neck.

"This is not good," Fardeep stated.

"Aiden, hang in there," Nanion ordered. He had Aiden pulled back against his body, hand pressing down on the wound.

"Can't you heal it Aiden?" Gla-Thon asked. "Like you healed me?"

Aiden shrugged and pushed Nanion's hand away so that he could place his right hand over the wound. He normally disliked healing himself as it was energy that he might need to save someone else, but he wouldn't be able to save anyone if he died in the dungeons. A soft green glow surrounded his hand and the wound closed over. It wasn't until he had pulled his hand away that Aiden realised he had done more than just heal his throat, his magic had also given him back his voice.

He pushed the others away from him and led the group back up again, but Manus informed him that he had a better idea. The Ralad man had studied the map of the palace before giving it to Aiden, and as it had been his ancestors who had built the palace he a greater understanding on the layout. Aiden bowed with a sweeping arm, gesturing that the man take the lead. He started to run at the back, and as soon as he was sure they were safe he pulled the cloak back over his head and took a different tunnel. The others would be fine without him. They would be worried about him, but with his wound healed already he would be able to meet them later and apologise for scaring them.

Somehow Aiden found his way onto the walkways directly overlooking the Place of Punishment. The platform was below him, the palace behind him, and the crowd stretching out in front of him. From his vantage point he could see Barda and Jasmine near the front of the platform, and near the back was Zeean. That meant that Doom and Glock would be around somewhere.

At that moment Fallow walked onto the stage and silence descended upon the crowd. The crowd's faces went blank, having learnt long ago that they were not to look away from the horror before them. Fallow spread his arms wide in some sick parody of a warm welcome.

"Today is a great day!" the man began. "Those who would overthrow our great leader will today be silenced! A plot, one doomed to failure, has been discovered and destroyed! Behind me are the mother and father of this great evil, they will get double branding, and death!"

Aiden shuddered, feeling sick as he noticed several Grey Guards holding hot metal pokers. He hadn't been branded when he was Voldemort's prisoner, but the thought had still terrified him. The crowd echoed the last statement in a monotone.

"Double branding and death."

Seven shadows flew over Aiden's hiding place, and he recognised the Ak-Baba waiting for the end. Fallow walked closer to Endon and Sharn and removed their hoods so that everyone in the crowd would know who it was that would be killed that day. It was the first time that Aiden had seen emotion on their face, sorrow and despair, hopelessness.

"These two, by mercy of the Shadow Lord, will at least be able to see their son before they die."

Aiden crouched on the railing, preparing to jump, but when another hooded figure was dragged on stage, he hesitated. The Belt around his waist hadn't reacted at all, so the person they had pulled up there was not Lief at all. Another trick of the Shadow Lord? The monster would have known that there would be a rescue attempt, so this was a last ditch effort to reveal who was a part of the Resistance.

Fallow pulled the hood off of the thing pretending to be Lief, and the crowd made another sound of horror. Members of the Resistance began to move forward, but all they achieved was being captured and dragged on stage as well, much to Fallow's joy. Barda, Jasmine, Glock, Doom, Nanion and Gla-Thon were all forced to their knees facing the crowd. Aiden shook his head, at least there were others that were still free.

Aiden took a running leap in the confusion and landed on the post that Endon was tied to. The cloak kept him invisible, but he was certain in the brief moment of visibility that jumping had caused, the crowd had seen him. There was no cry of alarm though, no one pointed him out, for they must have seen the one thing that could give them hope…the Belt around his waist. Aiden slid down the post, reached forward and grabbed Endon's arm.

_Your Majesty,_ he began. _Don't say anything aloud. That boy in front of you is not your son. Lief is being kept somewhere else. The thing in front of you was merely bait to capture others loyal to him._

_Aiden?_ Endon thought. _Where is my son then? Does he have the Belt? Did it not shine for him?_

_The Gems on the Belt are in the wrong order. I have the Belt with me, and I need to find Lief. The protection I gave him won't last forever, he needs the Belt._

_I request an explanation later, _Endon finally requested._ But for now cut me free so that I can fight._

_I'll free you, but wait until I've also cut Queen Sharn's, _Aiden said as he awkwardly cut the rope with his dagger in his left hand. _I have a plan that will distract them all._

_Good luck_.

Aiden released Endon's wrist and waited to make sure that it still looked like he was tied up before moving silently across the stage to where Sharn was staring at Lief with teary eyes. He stood behind her and grabbed her wrist, quickly speaking to her so that she wouldn't tell anyone else that he was there.

_Queen Sharn, please don't make a sound. I'm your son's Protector and I need your help. If you think what you want to say I will hear you._

_Who are you?_

_I told you, I'm Deltora's Protector,_ Aiden let out a breath. _That thing in front of you is not Lief, he is elsewhere. There's no way that the Shadow Lord would allow Adin's Heir to be killed so quickly. This was a trap for those who are loyal to the future King._

_What can I do?_ Aiden was grateful that Sharn held back the numerous questions that had appeared in her mind, and outlined his plan to her. He figured that if there was one person in the whole world who would be able to spot a fake, it would be a mother. All Sharn needed to do was pass on the message that the imposter wasn't who the others thought he was. Sharn agreed and started to speak as Aiden cut her ropes.

"I do not know what your purpose is, but you are not my son," she said clearly. The Lief-Imposter spun around to face her with despair on its face. The others in the Resistance also looked back curiously.

"Mother! It is I, your son!" Lief-Imposter cried.

"My son would have fought," Sharn continued as the ropes holding her broke. "You walked up here calmly."

"I do not recognise this person in front of me," Endon added. "Where is my son?"

"You do not recognise your own son, blacksmith?" Fallow asked, a tad nervously.

"There is one question that I can ask, that will tell me if you are my son," Sharn continued, looking at the imposter. "What was the name of your protector when you were growing up?"

_Good one, Your Majesty,_ Aiden mentally congratulated.

_Thank you, now go and find my son,_ Sharn ordered. _We will handle this._

Aiden released her wrist and stepped back, noticing that the imposter looked unsure. He really wanted to see what answer it would come up with, as it would reveal how much information the enemy had gathered about Lief.

"Barda was my protector," it finally said. Endon laughed, and even Barda chuckled with a shake of his head.

"Even I was aware that my son's protector was his imaginary friend, Harry," Endon stated.

"Little Harry, who had a harder life than we lived," Sharn added. "You stopped seeing your friend after your eleventh birthday."

"No way, it was real?" Aiden gasped in shock, not aware that Sharn and Endon heard his soft words. There was no way that it was possible. Lief had known about him from his childhood? Aiden had repressed most of his memories of his time with the Dursleys, but he now remembered a small boy who would talk to him at night. Why had he forgotten? What made him forget?

"My son is here somewhere, Fallow!" Endon cried over the mutterings in the crowd. "Where are you hiding him?"

"It no longer matters!" Fallow cried back. "We have the traitors to the Shadow Lord! Now they will all die!"

_I don't think so,_ Aiden thought. He made a sweeping motion with his right hand and the ropes that were restraining the recently captured turned to ash. An all-out battle began, one Endon and Sharn were happy to participate in, and off to the side Aiden recognised Sion's handiwork. Even the crowd joined in, but Aiden went after the Lief-Imposter and plunged his dagger into the right side of his chest, piercing the heart, and causing the body to disappear. Task done Aiden scurried back up one of the posts, looking for where Lief would be.

Ichabod made his appearance by leaping onto the platform, and working together the Resistance and citizens of Del were able to defeat it. The lasts word escaping from its mouth was "mummy". Aiden felt a little sad, despite looking like a ferocious monster, it was still just a child who wanted its mother.

A bell began to ring behind him, and Aiden turned to look at the bell tower. Despite the distance, Aiden could see Kree sitting on the window ledge, ringing the bell. There was only one reason that Kree would do that, and that was to tell everyone where Lief was. Aiden stood on the post and turned to face Fallow, pushing his hood off as he did so and becoming visible once again. He held his dagger out in front of him in a challenge.

"No!" Fallow cried as the Resistance crowded around him. "This is not how it was supposed to end!"

"Where is my son?" Endon roared.

"Kill him! Kill him now!" Fallow ordered. For one heart stopping moment Aiden understood that he wasn't talking about Endon, he was talking about Lief. Large blasts sounded out and projectiles headed for the tower Aiden knew Lief to be in. With a cry of horror he leapt up, transforming mid leap, and flying after Lief. The Belt slipped from his waist so he carried it in his talons.

The tower was crumbling, but Aiden was able to get in through one of the windows without getting hit. Lief was, thankful, untied so he was able to grab the Belt as it was dropped. He wasn't able to put it on, however, as Aiden grabbed his shoulders in his talons and flew them up and out, hovering over what had used to be a tall tower.

"Who are you?" Lief asked, looking up at the red bird. "What are you?"

_I am Aiden_, Aiden replied mentally with a laugh. _This is my second form. My magic is from a different land. I was born with it. This is one of my abilities._

"Aiden?" Lief muttered. "How'd you find me?"

_I cast protective magic over you. We are linked until I remove it, but I don't think I will. You seem even more prone to danger than I am. Now, let's get you down and fix the Belt._

"What's wrong with it?" Lief asked. "Is this problem why it won't shine?"

Aiden wasn't able to reply for at that moment the Ak-Baba decided that they would play. Aiden was forced to use every bit of aerial combat he knew, from his experience playing Quidditch, out flying a dragon, and what he had learnt simply by flying over Deltora. He barely noticed the palace crumbling around them as the Ak-Baba crashed into the towers, or their tails slicing through the walkways, all that mattered was keeping Lief safe.

There was one attack that he was not able to completely evade, and he cursed as Lief dropped the Belt. Lief screamed out in horror, but that was not all he was worried about. It seemed that the knock they had taken had dislodged the Gems and they were falling back towards the palace.

"Aiden, we have to get that back!" Lief cried.

_I know, we need a distraction,_ Aiden replied._ Cover your ears as best as you can._

He looked down and after taking a deep breath let out an ear piercing screeching. The Ak-Baba shrieked as the noise assaulted their ears, but the noise had passed on the message that Aiden wanted to send. This was his signal, everybody attack! From over the horizon flew dozens of Kin with Dread Gnomes in their pouches. They had some kind of explosive with them, as every time they dropped a bottle it would explode. The Resistance members who had been waiting outside for the signal charged forward with reckless abandon, and only then was Aiden able to fly down and drop Lief on what was left of one of the walkways. He transformed back into his human form, crouched on the railing, and passed over Lief's cloak.

"Listen to me very carefully Lief," Aiden said aloud, using his actual voice for the first time since before his imprisonment. Lief looked at him in shock but nodded to show that he was listening. "The Belt needs to be completed in the same way as Adin completed it. For together the Gems spell the one name that the Shadow Lord fears above all others."

"And what is that?" Lief asked.

"Think, the true name of this land is what will free it," Aiden insisted. "You don't believe that it is a coincidence that this land is known as Deltora?"

"Of course," Lief breathed. "If the Gems are arranged in the right order they will spell out Deltora. And the Shadow Lord hates it because it is a symbol of unity."

Aiden nodded with a smile before standing and facing the crowd who were standing amongst the rubble. The smile slid from his face as he stared at them.

"Listen to me!" he ordered. "Find the Gems! This is the moment we have been waiting for! Work together and we will rid this land of the Shadow Lord. Deltora will be free again!"

He leapt off the railing and grabbed Lief's arm, dragging him along until they got to where the Belt had landed. He lifted it and sent his magic into it. He snapped it around Lief's waist and clasped his forearm seriously.

"Deltora will accept you as King, but only if you arrange the Gems correctly," he told him. "The rest is now up to you. I have done what I can."

Lief nodded and took off running. Aiden watched him go and then glanced down at his bracelet. Once again it was dark, but that would change as Lief once again dropped the Gems into their correct places. He took off running, leaping over Grey Guards and Ols, stabbing them with his poisoned dagger as he did so.

His bracelet grew hot before it burst into light as the Diamond was slipped into place. His opponent reeled backwards, covering his eyes as the light blinded him. Moments later he was dead, and Aiden was running towards another cluster. At one stage he was back to back with Jasmine, and he noticed the Topaz clutched in her hand. His bracelet informed him that the Amethyst was next in place, leaving five empty spaces between it and the Diamond.

"Run to Lief, he needs the Topaz," he ordered.

"Where is he?" Jasmine asked. "I can't see him."

"Make your way to the centre of the courtyard, he will be there."

Jasmine nodded and ran off. The Emerald was returned next to the Diamond, and Aiden could feel his power building. This was followed by the Ruby beside the Amethyst, and then the Lapis Lazuli next to the Emerald. Aiden found himself in front of Endon and Sharn after having spotted the former King collapse. Sharn was standing over him, and Aiden spotted Doom making his way to them as well.

"What happened?" Aiden asked as he sent a blast of fire at an incoming group of Grey Guards.

"He was caught from behind," Sharn explained.

"Look out!" Doom called. Aiden turned to the side and saw the wall falling towards them. He lifted his hands as if to catch it and cast a shield around him and the two royals. There was a large crack and once the wall made it to the ground there was a hole where Aiden still stood. Endon and Sharn were on the ground, protecting their heads, but still looked up when they realised they weren't dead.

"I have to go find Lief," Aiden said as he dropped the shield. He turned to Doom. "You'll look after them?"

Doom nodded and Aiden began running again. The Opal returned to the Belt, beside the Ruby, and that left just the Topaz to go in the middle of all the Gems. Aiden ran to the center of the courtyard, ducking under, serving around and jumping over rubble in his way. Jasmine and Lief were running towards each other, but heading towards both of them was an Ol in the form of a giant, sword aiming directly at them. Aiden recklessly jumped in front of the giant and caught the blade. The shockwave sent both Lief and Jasmine to the ground behind him, but they were still unharmed.

"Aiden…" Lief breathed in horror.

"Complete the Belt, Lief," Aiden ordered. "Now."

He had caught the blade before it could be thrust towards Lief, but by caught it he meant that he had used his body to stop it. The tip of the blade had gone through his stomach and drops of blood were hitting the ground next to Lief's head. Lief dropped the Topaz into its place and there was a moment of silence before the entire courtyard burst into light. The giant Ol recoiled and Aiden dropped to the ground once the sword had disappeared. His own bracelet was pulsing in time with the Belt, and from where his hands were pressed into the ground supporting his body he could sense the evil all over the land retreating back to the Shadowlands.

"Aiden," Jasmine whispered. He looked up at her and tried to smile.

"We won," he told her.

"You're hurt badly," she continued.

"I'll live, had worse than this."

"Lean on me," Jasmine ordered. "You can't stay here."

Aiden agreed to that and soon had his left arm over Jasmine's shoulders. Lief appeared on his other side and they helped him to walk back over to where Endon was being supported by Sharn and Doom. Even from his weakened position, Aiden knew that Endon didn't have much time left. Lief left his side and ran to his father, collapsing on the ground in front of him. Aiden and Jasmine were close enough to hear the former King's words, and Doom moved to stand with them. Aiden used his right hand to put pressure on his stomach, he would sacrifice a little of his energy to make sure that he wouldn't bleed out, but otherwise he would heal the normal way.

"Do not weep for me," Endon murmured, his hand reaching up to cup Lief's face. "I am happy. My life is fulfilled. Here, now, at the moment of my death, I have what I have longed for. The knowledge that the evil caused by my fault has been undone. The knowledge that, with my dear wife, I have raised a son who can lead his people wisely, know their hearts."

"Why did you not tell me Father?" Lief asked. "Why did you not tell me who I was?"

"While you did not know, you were safe," Endon whispered, letting his hand fall to his lap. "And – you had to learn – to love and know the people, and be one of them. That – I had sworn."

"But…Barda? Aiden?"

"Barda did not know the truth," Sharn explained. "He had seen Jarred and Anna leave. He thought they were the king and queen, for that is what we told him. at the palace he had only ever seen us from a distance, dressed and painted in palace fashion. We never told him the secret. We had sworn to keep the plan between the four of us. And when you went on your quest – why, we thought that as soon as the Belt was complete there would be no need for explanation. We thought it would shine! We did not know…"

"As for Aiden," Endon whispered with a smile. "It seems that he already knew a Jarred of the Forge and put the pieces together himself. From what I have seen, and what I now know, he has been protecting you for longer than any of us thought."

"What?" Lief asked.

"Your imaginary friend growing up?" Aiden queried, drawing attention to himself. "Young Harry, who grew up in a cupboard and didn't know his true name until he was five. Who never had a friend except for the boy who would talk to him in his dreams? That, was me. I had forgotten about it after my rescue, a repressed memory from that house that your mother and father reminded me of."

"You are Harry?"

"I _was_ Harry," Aiden said with a nod. "But Harry died on the Island. I am Aiden, but there is one thing that will not change. I will protect you until you no longer have need of it. You are the reason that I still live, and because of that I am in your debt."

"And here I thought it was your imagination," Endon murmured. "But all along you and Deltora's Protector have been working together. That is fitting. I have always liked tales like this, for such tales usually have happy endings…as does this one."

Endon closed his eyes and his face relaxed, and smile ghosting over his lips. Aiden bowed his head in sadness. Endon was not the greatest King Deltora had ever had, but he was the next best thing. He had raised a child to become the greatest King of Deltora, one who hadn't been seen since the time of Adin. For that, he would be honored.

Aiden decided that it was time for him to go off and heal, and shook of Jasmine's support. He walked shakily away from her and Doom, and smiled as everyone looked at him.

"There is much that needs to be done," he said. "The dead must be buried and mourned, the wounded must be tended to, the city must be repaired, and the people need to formally meet our new King."

"Your injuries need to be tended to as well Aiden," Jasmine said with her hand lifted towards him.

"You are right, Aiden," Lief said, walking away from his father's body. "But I agree with Jasmine. You need healing."

Aiden nodded as he staggered to the side before righting himself. His right hand was now bright red from his blood, but he knew that with some rest he would live.

"Quit being stubborn," Steven ordered from behind him. His feet were swept out from under him as Steven lifted him. "I'll start bandaging the wounded, bring them to the city square…as well as any volunteers who would like to help."

"Thank you Steven," Lief whispered.

"Think nothing of it, my King," Steven replied with a smile. "We are free from the Shadow Lord, and it is because of you and Aiden that we are so. Anything I can do, I will."

Aiden smiled and closed his eyes. Deltora was free from the Shadow Lord, already he could hear the cheers spreading like a wild fire. He did wonder what would happen now, but resolved to wait until later. Once he was healed he would worry about the next plan of the Shadow Lord, and the fate of his friends back home…

* * *

_**Next up in Deltora's Protector:**_

_**Chapter 15 – News from Home**_


	15. News From Home

Deltora's Protector

Chapter 15 – News From Home

* * *

Previously on Deltora's Protector:

_Harry Potter was tortured for months in a prison known as the Island. During his stay he lost his voice and as such can no longer speak. A rescue attempt was made and while Harry managed to get out, it wasn't in England he returned to. He was washed ashore the western shore of Deltora and taken care of by Verity, the spirit girl of Bone Point Lighthouse. Shortly afterwards he met Steven, Nevets and Queen Bee. He was renamed Aiden and spent a few months recovering at Queen Bee's orchard. One day he snuck away to the City of the Rats and became the owner of a fine bracelet. Aiden joined Steven on his rounds and during his adventures became friends with the Ralads, a Dread Gnome, the Resistance and became an enemy of the Shadow Lord. _

_The seven Great Gems of Deltora have been returned to the Belt of Deltora. Lief of Del has been identified as Heir, and the Shadow Lord has been driven from Deltora back to the Shadowlands._

_The adventure continues..._

* * *

Aiden slept for one day before waking to help with the wounded, much to everyone's dismay. He was still sore from his stomach wound, but he ignored it in favor of easing the pain from the Resistance members who had been injured, and the Del citizens who had been caught in the battle. When he spotted one of his friends making their way towards him he would disappear to another area of the wounded. The children thought it all a fun game, and often helped him to hide. In return for their help Aiden would play his music for them and create little fire figures no bigger than his hand that would dance through the air.

Two days were set aside for burying the dead, and Aiden played a haunting melody of lost love and future promises. Manus joined him with his own music, though the Ralad man hadn't requested Aiden return to have his own injuries seen to. Aiden promised Manus that he would visit Raladin, but he wasn't sure when it would be possible as this moment in time would be most dangerous for Lief as the new King of Deltora.

After the funerals Lief and Aiden hid away in one of the tall towers and talked. Aiden told Lief everything about himself, from living in the cupboard under the stairs, to attending Hogwarts, to being imprisoned on the Island, and finally being rescued. He hypothesized that the creature that had saved him was acting on behalf of Deltora, as the land had sensed that the Protector would be needed again and Aiden had the right qualities that it was looking for.

In return, Lief told Aiden everything about himself, growing up as a blacksmith's son, playing in the city, avoiding Grey Guards, and his quest with Barda and Jasmine. He also spoke of his fears of being King, often feeling like a fraud or inadequate to rule when everyone who looked to him in awe and hope were older than him. He felt that the expectations they placed on him would bury him. And then there was the fact that he needed an Heir of his own, or Deltora would once again be without a ruler and the Shadow Lord would be able to crush them easily.

Doom, over the following few weeks, spent most of his time with Jasmine, getting to know his now grown daughter, but he still also made time for Aiden. Jasmine told him after one of her talks with her father that she had always wanted a sibling. And so Jasmine became Aiden's sister, and Doom became his surrogate father. To celebrate having a family, and a sibling, Aiden and Jasmine played several practical jokes on Doom. Aiden's favourite was when he and Jasmine had swapped all the furniture in Doom's room from one side to the other and everything that was on the walls or desks was turned upside down. Jasmine took it one step further and rearranged Doom's clothes in their draws.

Queen Sharn, who helped Lief by overseeing day-to-day requirements of the palace so that he could focus on the bigger things, had welcomed Aiden into the family as well. She had admitted that while they were in hiding, she and Endon had wanted another child but had never been able to. But as Lief had spoken of him often in his childhood, she already felt a connection with him and requested that he also call her mother. Aiden had a lot of trouble with that, but instead of calling her Queen Sharn, My Lady, or Your Majesty, he had started to call her Sharn. She also presented him with a cloak made from the same material as Lief's cloak, but for some reason it was darker than Lief's.

Aiden never took the cloak off.

Steven and Nevets had remained in Del to help with the healing of the wounded, and the selling of their wares, but they were on their way back to the orchard. Aiden would be going with them before returning back to Del to make sure that Lief didn't get himself killed in his absence.

Due to how magically charged the battle had been, and the fact that Lief still had Aiden's protection over him, the two shared a mental link that could be accessed by focusing on either the Belt or the bracelet, depending on who was initiating the conversation. Aiden thought it also had something to do with how they had been close as imaginary friends, but didn't put much thought into it for he would know of any danger Lief was in no matter where they were.

Sion had had the time of his life during the battle, but had requested to return to the forests where he could brag to his nest mates about what he had accomplished, and the humans he had bitten. Aiden would be seeing him off, and while he would miss the snake, Sion promised that if he was needed again he would willingly come.

So now Aiden was back at the orchard, and reveled in the fact that he could speak to convey his thoughts. Bee was impressed at the tale that he, Steven and Nevets spun, though it was Steven who told her about Aiden's own injuries as Aiden wouldn't have told her on his own.

"So what are your plans now Aiden?" Bee asked as she placed a bowl of stew before each of the boys at the table. "Will you remain in Del with the new King?"

"In time," Aiden admitted. "Barda and Jasmine are protecting him at the moment, and there's no way that Doom would let anything to happen to him now that there is finally freedom in Deltora. And if anything major happens I can be there instantly."

"How will you know?" Steven asked around a mouthful of stew.

"Lief and I are connected through the Belt and my bracelet," Aiden admitted, shaking his arm to emphasize his point. "All he needs to do is call for me and I will be by his side in a flash of fire. My phoenix form allows me to do that."

"I saw that form of yours, during the battle," Steven said with a nod. "For a moment I thought you were an Ol, but you had been wearing the Belt for the journey so I knew that it was you. Dain had melted once the Belt was wrapped around his waist due to the evil that created him. May I see your other form later?"

"Sure."

"So does that mean you will stay here and help me out?" Bee asked, drawing attention back to her.

"For a while, but I also want to visit others who I promised I would," Aiden explained as he drained the last of the stew in his bowl. "The Ralads in particular, and the Dread Gnomes, but most of all I want to head back to Bone Point. I have a feeling that I need to be there, that there's someone I need to meet."

"As long as you don't forget to eat again," Bee warned. "It hasn't escaped my notice that you haven't been eating, again."

"There was no time to eat!"

"You need to keep your strength up," Steven warned. "I don't know if you were paying attention to the adults' gossip when you were distracting the children from the aftermath of the battle, but there are whispers of the slaves still in the Shadowlands. In time there will be requests for Lief to lead an army over the mountains to rescue them."

"If he goes, I cannot follow him," Aiden cautioned. "This bracelet, like the Belt of Deltora, cannot pass Deltora's borders. And I was listening. The children also speak of how their parents, family and neighbours were taken to the Shadowlands. They kept asking me if I would be going to save them with the King."

"And what did you tell them?" Bee asked.

"I told them that if we could find a way to get them home, we would."

"You have such a kind heart, my Aiden," Bee told him, smoothing down his hair as she started to clear the table. "Sometimes I wonder how, knowing part of what you've been through."

Aiden didn't know what to say to that, so instead he remained silent and helped her to clean up.

For one week Aiden remained with Bee. Steven and Nevets left heading west after a few days, and Aiden had waved them off until they were out of sight. Every night he contacted Lief to find out what was happening in Del, and was informed of Lief's plan to find an Heir. Apparently, Adin had had more than one child in fact he had had five children, all who married Torans and had children of their own. Aiden recommended asking Doom for help, as there was no way that Lief would be able to research on his own and look after his new kingdom. He would be burnt out before week's end.

There was also the fact that Lief was being constantly advised about matters of the kingdom by three elderly advisors, which was driving him crazy. The three remembered how the palace had been run before the Shadow Lord took over, but Lief was far too stubborn to be bound to the rules of old. The only way he was able to escape the three advisors was if he snuck away using the tunnels Manus had shown him before he returned to Raladin. Doom, Sharn, Barda and Jasmine were the only ones who knew where Lief ran off to, with Doom joining him often. Aiden didn't think that Lief had spent so much as a single day in the city since being dragged through prior to the Shadow Lord's defeat.

Aiden then spent a few days with the Ralads, all excited now that they could speak to each other. Music was played, stories were told, and Aiden entertained the children with his fire figurines the children of Del had loved so much. From there he flew west to visit Gla-Thon and spent a few days with her and the Kin. They had all seen his phoenix form during the battle, so he had no need to hide it from them.

Near the end of his stay with the Dread Gnomes Aiden was disappointed to discover that Lief had kept something big from him. He had felt a pulse from his bracelet, warning him that something was happening, but it had faded too fast for him to know what it was. It was only after, when he was speaking to Lief that night, that he realised that there had been an assassination attempt.

_Lief, I am your Protector. I want to know about these things,_ Aiden scolded. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, left arm grasping his bracelet, head bowed and eyes closed. To all appearances he was sleeping in the middle of the room. Lief was in his room in the palace, leaning against the wall and hands resting on the Belt.

_It was over so quickly that I didn't even think of calling you,_ Lief replied apologetically. _The woman was unable to get close to me, and when she failed she turned the knife on herself. It was over in moments but Barda was with me and he got me out of the Entrance Hall as fast as he could._

_Still, I want you to call me next time_, Aiden stated.

_That depresses me Aiden,_ Lief pointed out. _When you say: "next time."_

_You are the King of Deltora, but you have only been King for a few weeks, _Aiden cautioned. _The Shadow Lord isn't going to stop trying to defeat you just because you wear the Belt. As you have discovered, a thrust of a knife will do the job just as well._

_That's why I'm looking for my Heir!_

_Is Doom helping you?_

_Yes,_ Lief acknowledged. _It's getting harder to dodge my advisors. Where are you at the moment?_

_Dread Mountain, everyone says hello. And don't stress about the advisors, I'll help when I get back._

_Where will you go next?_

_I'm heading to Bone Point tomorrow,_ Aiden revealed. _Another week and I will be back in Del, unless you call me earlier, then I will be there in seconds._

Lief acknowledged the subtle hint before ending the conversation. Aiden opened his eyes with a sigh and went outside again. News from Del was troubling, but expected. However, as much as he wanted to, Aiden knew that there was something in the west that he needed to find before returning, his opal was telling him that much at least.

He flew down to the main road before settling in one of the trees as a human. The Dread Gnomes knew that he preferred the open air as opposed to their caves, and only requested that he let them know when he was going instead of disappearing. He pulled his flute from his shirt and once again started to play random songs. There was something that he wanted to experiment with, and that was creating specific images from fire that was manipulated by his music. It was a lot harder than creating fire figurines on their own as he had been doing with the children.

"Do my ears deceive me? Or is that young Aiden playing in the trees?"

Aiden looked down and a broad grin spread across his face, fire figurines fading away. Dancing far below him along the road were the Masked Ones, though the caravan that Bess, the woman who wore an owl mask and leader of the Masked Ones, was riding on had stopped. Aiden grabbed his phoenix mask from his bag and slipped it on before sliding down the tree trunk.

"Pyro!" Aiden laughed as Zerry, a young boy in a polypan mask and a friend Aiden had made when he was last with the traveling group, collided with him in happiness.

"Long time, no see Zerry," he said. Zerry jumped back, and even with the mask covering his face Aiden knew that his mouth had fallen open in shock.

"When did you learn to talk?" he asked.

"I already knew how to talk," Aiden told him, gently tapping Zerry's head with his flute. "But as my throat was damaged, _Queen Bee Honey_ helped to heal it. Now I can talk. It's so much easier to talk than it is to write."

"I'm thrilled to hear that Aiden," Bess stated. "Climb up and tell me all about it."

The woman indicated the seat next to her on the caravan and Aiden nodded. He looked back once over his shoulder and played a short tune on his flute to attract the nearest Kin. The nearest Kin also happened to be Prin, the young Kin who had assisted Lief, Barda and Jasmine when they were still recovering the Emerald.

"Aiden! What do you need?" Prin asked excitedly. "Who are your friends? Why are you wearing a mask? Are they staying for dinner?"

"Prin, please let everyone know that I'm leaving early," Aiden interrupted with a laugh. "These are the Masked Ones, and I have travelled with them before. If you or the others need me send word to Del and Lief will be able to contact me."

"I'll miss you," Prin stated tearfully. Aiden hugged her, pulling off his mask and winking at the youngling.

"I'll be back one day, don't cry," he told her. "You need to set a good example for the new little ones."

Prin promised that she would be brave as Aiden pulled his mask back down over his face and jumped up next to Bess. The caravans started to move again, and Zerry ran back to inform the others that Aiden had come back.

"You're friends with the King?" Bess asked softly, her tone strange. Aiden looked at her and nodded.

"The King is my age, and as trouble prone as I am," he explained. "I am Deltora's Protector, as I'm sure you've gathered from the rumors spreading across Deltora."

"So you protect the King?"

"I protect Deltora," Aiden corrected. "You don't like the King? He's still young, I know, but he will grow and gain experience."

"Us of the Masked Ones have never supported the Kings or Queens of Deltora," Bess told him. "Long ago, they turned their backs on us, and we have learnt to fend for ourselves. We will never support the line of Adin."

"That's alright," Aiden said, once again turning his attention to the front and listening to the chatter behind them. "As far as I'm concerned, you're still Deltoran, and therefore under my protection. Whether you support Lief or not, that's your choice."

"Deltora made a fine choice in selecting you," Bess praised. "Few would accept our beliefs as you do, without first trying to sway our opinion."

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and belief," Aiden preached. "I will still protect them as best I can, as long as they're not trying to kill me."

"Fair enough," Bess laughed. "Where are you leaving us this time?"

"Bone Point Road," Aiden supplied. "I'm meeting someone there."

"That we can do. Now play your music! I have desired to hear it for so long!"

Aiden laughed and started to play again. He was glad to be back with the happy people of the Masked Ones, and after stopping he was also glad to catch up with all his friends and actually communicate with them.

* * *

All in all, Aiden spent four days with the Masked Ones before leaving them at Bone Point Road. Once they were out of sight he took to the air and didn't return to his human form until he was at the lighthouse. The door opened easily under his touch, and he let himself in.

"Verity? Are you here?" he called. Soft laughter greeted him and a partially transparent figure appeared in front of him. Now that he could see clearly, he noticed that Verity was quite attractive, with long red hair and a yellow dress that flowed around her as easily as water. Her feet were bare, but she didn't seem to mind as her smile was bright and vibrant. She looked to be around sixteen years old, but as Aiden was a bad judge of age she could have been older or younger.

"You look a lot better than the last time you were here," Verity observed.

"I feel better," Aiden admitted. "And I want to thank you for that. I know I would have died on this beach if it hadn't been for you."

"Deltora wanted you to live," Verity explained as her form jumped onto the couch, pulling her feet under her as she did so. Aiden sat next to her, but twisted his body so that he was facing her.

"But you were the one who healed me," he insisted. "Maybe Deltora made that possible, but I am still grateful to you."

"You're very kind," Verity giggled. "What can I do for you, Mr. Protector?"

"To update you on what has happened in Deltora, if you haven't heard it already."

"I have heard whispers from the birds and the land, but I would like to hear it from you."

Aiden grinned and explained everything that had happened since he had left the lighthouse. His story telling took the greater part of the rest of the day, but Verity was an attentive audience and once he started he couldn't stop. As the sun set she pulled him outside, the magic of the lighthouse and Deltora giving her partial substance and they walked along the beach hand in hand as Aiden finished his story.

"Deltora is happy that the Shadow Lord has been defeated," Verity whispered. "But there is still darkness. Have you felt it?"

"Yes," Aiden admitted. "There are whispers demanding that Lief lead an army to the Shadowlands, but an army would be decimated before getting close to the Shadow Lord. And then there's something else…there are days when it's like the very land is zapping my strength."

"The land is dying," Verity agreed. "A poison is draining the land of life, on dark days I feel it more keenly."

"What happened to you Verity?" Aiden asked softly. "You are bound to the lighthouse, forever unchanging. What evil bound such a free spirit as you?"

"I could blame the Shadow Lord, but in truth I bound myself here after I died," Verity admitted. "Captain James Gant, of _the Lady Luck_, tricked my father into gambling away more than he could afford. To repay him, James told my father that either the light would go out, or I would be taken from him. The light could not be allowed to die, so James took me to his ship where we waited for days. The Shadow Lord destroyed the Belt of Deltora while I was aboard _the Lady Luck_. I admit that I angered James, forcefully bound him to his oath and his crew. He stabbed me through my heart and my blood dripped into the ocean. My body is still preserved on _the Lady Luck_."

"Where is _the Lady Luck_?" Aiden asked.

"Out there," Verity indicated with her head. "Just beyond Deltora's border. It drifts endlessly, following Captain James. You cannot help me Aiden, you cannot pass the border."

"I will find a way," Aiden promised, turning so that he could take both her hands in his. "I promise you that I will find a way to free you. You deserve to be free, not chained to this place."

"I will hold you to that promise," Verity whispered. "Thank you."

"You saved my life," Aiden whispered back as he pulled her into a hug. He was only a few inches taller than she was and could just see over the top of her head. "It's the least I can do to repay you."

Verity returned the hug before pulling back. Her eyes looked over the ocean's horizon, and Aiden followed her gaze. He hadn't expected to see anything, but the small white speck on the horizon set his heart racing and a smile appeared on his face. He would recognise that silhouette anywhere.

"Hedwig!"

* * *

Hedwig had been torn between harshly pecking Aiden's head and cooing at him fondly. In the end Aiden's hands had been bitten often enough that he was sure scars would remain. Hedwig had since curled up on his chest and showed no indication that she would be leaving his side any time soon. Verity had found the entire performance amusing, but then left to haunt the lighthouse.

All night Aiden talked to Hedwig repeating the same story he had told Verity only hours earlier, and made himself comfortable on the first floor of the lighthouse. He showed Hedwig his phoenix form, and she appeared excited that she could now fly with him. Aiden had promised that they would have time for it, but first she needed to rest.

The following morning Aiden received a call for help from Lief, and only briefly warning Hedwig that he would be back, he transformed and appeared in the Entrance Hall of Del Palace in a flash of flames. A man with a set of crutches next to him had a death grip on Lief's throat, and the young King was struggling to break the hold. His guards were also helping him, but none had the strength to free him. So Aiden transformed and grabbed the would-be assassin's head, channeling his magic into the man's muscles and forcing him to release Lief's neck.

Lief fell backwards as the hand released him, struggling to breathe, but Aiden saw that he would be fine. The would-be assassin was carried away, but before he could be taken far, another person darted through the crowd and slit his throat so that he would never be able to talk, and then he died before Aiden could reach him. Aiden wanted to run after the assassin of the would-be assassin, but Lief needed him more so he walked after the King. The remaining guards had carried him from the Entrance Hall as soon as possible and Aiden followed them to a sitting room. He healed Lief's throat as soon as he was next to him, and grinned.

"Trouble find you again?" he asked.

"Always," Lief replied rubbing his healed throat in gratitude after Aiden stepped back. "Thanks."

"No problem."

"Come, we can speak in my room and I know that mother will be after you to eat something once she knows that you're here," Lief ordered.

"Sounds good, but I have one more thing that I need to do," Aiden said as they began to walk. "Give me ten minutes and I'll be back in your room."

With that he transformed so that he could return to Hedwig, and give his farewells to Verity. Hedwig would fly to Del once she was recovered, and Verity had wished him luck. Aiden smiled at her and returned to Del, arriving in Lief's room before the King.

"So, how goes your plans?" Aiden asked once Lief appeared.

"Well, I've begun forging another Belt, a decoy," Lief began. "Doom's idea, but one I support wholeheartedly. We're making progress on Adin's bloodline, I'm guessing that there's another three hundred years to go until I reach living relations."

"Need some help?" Aiden asked. "Not with the forging, I know nothing about blacksmithing, but I can attempt to help with tracking down the bloodline of Adin."

"Doom and I are usually in the library, and with this latest assassination attempt I think I might just barricade myself in there."

"And the Room?"

"You know about that?"

"Lief, I may not have been in Deltora long, but I can definitely sense the evil in that room. Have you tried to destroy it?"

"The first two weeks that you were gone," Lief admitted. "It was horrible, I lacked the strength to do it on my own, so I barricaded it and forbid anyone from entering it."

"I could have a go?"

"No, leave it for now," Lief ordered. "What have you heard on your travels?"

"The whispers are getting louder for you to lead an army over the mountains. They're spreading discontent with the people to the west and north. They have lost a lot during the Shadow Lord's reign, but there's nothing that either of us could do."

"Not until I have an Heir at least."

"You need an Heir, yes, but I don't have one. I won't be able to go to the Shadowlands with you, and I have a really bad feeling about removing this bracelet."

"What do you mean?"

"You remember what I told you about the Dark Lord?" Aiden asked. At Lief's nod he continued. "Before I came here I could easily sense his emotions, and at times see through his eyes. But after putting on the bracelet I haven't felt anything. I have a feeling that he believes me dead, but taking off the bracelet will not only inform him of my survival, but also lead him to Deltora's shores. With the threat of the Shadow Lord still hanging over us, introducing another Dark Lord is only going to permanently cripple this land."

"So once the Shadow Lord has been defeated you'll leave?"

"Despite everything, this is now my home," Aiden sighed. "If we can defeat the Shadow Lord, and I can get a message to my friends, we'll see. I don't want to leave if that's what you're worried about, but I will if my staying here proves to be too dangerous."

"You leaving would be dangerous," Lief told him seriously. "As Protector you have a closer link with the land than I do, but even I can tell that the land sings when you're here. It may sound odd, but I've noticed that the plants and crops grow stronger when you're near."

"Wherever I go the land draws upon my power," Aiden confirmed. "Something is slowly killing the land, and wherever I go it pulls upon the energy that I have to sustain life."

"The land is killing you?" Lief asked in sudden fear. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because at the rate that the land is taking from me, I regain most of that energy from food and rest," Aiden reclined on Lief's bed with a sigh. "If it was anything serious I would tell you."

"You don't think your health is a serious matter?"

"My health is fine."

"Even I can tell you're exhausted," Lief informed him. "Mother will be up here soon. You can eat and then sleep right where you are. I'm meeting Doom later to work on the Decoy-Belt some more."

At that moment there was a knock on the door, and Lief answered with a grin. Sharn walked in with a tray of two meals. Aiden smiled as he realised she was feeding Lief as well.

"Aiden!" she gasped in shock after putting the tray down. "What happened to your hands?"

Aiden looked at his hands curiously before grinning in realization. The gouges in his skin from where Hedwig had shown her displeasure at him were still red raw, though no longer bleeding. He casually sent some healing energy into them, closing them over but leaving the scars as a reminder not to upset his owl.

"The lovely lady that I was meeting in the west was displeased at my long absence from her life," he explained. "She'll be here in a few days if she obeyed my order to rest, or tomorrow if she didn't. I have missed her so."

"A lovely lady?" Lief asked with eyebrows raised. "I didn't realise that you had time to woo a lady."

"Woo?" Aiden asked, before his eyes widened and face reddened as he realised how his statement had been considered. "It's not what you're thinking. Hedwig, my owl, has made it to Deltora's shores, and I was meeting her. She has flown a long way and I wanted her to rest before flying here, but she is as stubborn as a certain King I know so I doubt that she would rest."

"An owl?" Sharn asked.

"You'll meet her soon Sharn," Aiden promised. "How goes palace life?"

Sharn began to explain how life after the Shadow Lord's reign was progressing, watching the two boys eat the food she had provided for them. At times Aiden burst into laughter at her annoyance of other palace staff, but sympathized with her under her stern gaze. He couldn't understand how anyone considered her to be nothing more than a painted doll. She had a back bone and wouldn't allow anyone to tell her what to do.

By the time the boys were finished eating, Aiden was all but asleep where he was sitting. Lief pushed him flat on the bed and ordered him to sleep. Aiden waved his hand dismissively, and the other two left. In the morning Aiden would return to the city and see what his child fans were up to. For now though he would sleep, a soft melody ringing through his mind.

* * *

The next day Aiden escaped from the palace before anyone noticed him so he could walk through Del in peace. There was a warm and gentle breeze winding through the streets, causing Aiden's hair to fly up. Over the duration of his stay in Deltora his hair had grown long enough that it now brushed his shoulders, making it that much more manageable. He figured that he would need to start tying it up, or cut it again, but he almost shuddered at the thought of the rat's nest he used to call hair returning.

"Protector! Protector! You're back!"

Aiden turned slightly and grinned as he caught sight of Molly, a blonde haired seven-year-old who had taken to following Aiden around whenever he was in the city. Behind her were several other children, most of whom were still shy around him.

"Good morning Molly, children" Aiden greeted. "Have you had breakfast this morning?"

"Yes!" Molly answered. She skipped forward and captured Aiden's left hand in her own. "Can you play with us?"

"What would you like to play?" Aiden asked. With Molly hanging from his arm he was unable to continue walking, but with him standing still it allowed the other children to come closer.

"Can you play your music some more?" Aaron, a shy three-year-old asked. He had his thumb in his mouth, and clung to his brother Greg who was six. Aiden hummed thoughtfully before spotting an old fountain near the city's center. He pointed to it and made sure that all the children knew where he was gesturing.

"I will play for you on that fountain," he said. "Go ahead and get comfortable."

With a cheer the children ran off, except for Molly who was still holding his hand, and sat down surrounding the edge of the fountain. Aiden strolled after them, Molly already humming one of his favourite tunes that he liked to play, and walked along the fountain's rim until reaching the seat the children had picked out for him. All together there were around eight children, with more children appearing after seeing that Aiden was back.

As he sat down Aiden noticed that the parents of the children surrounding Aiden were standing off to the side where they wouldn't interrupt, looking from their windows, or standing near food stalls to keep an eye on their brood. He smiled at them, and knew that all of them were wondering how he could be Deltora's Protector. Stories of the Protectors of the past never indicated that they had much tolerance for children, and that they spent their time travelling the land or protecting the line of Adin. Aiden, however, knew that Lief was well protected on his own with Barda and Jasmine looking after him, and was happier playing with the children than fighting.

"Play _Hope_," Molly requested. She had managed to squeeze into the front row and with him sitting she had both her hands resting on his left knee. Her bright blue eyes stared up at him innocently and Aiden couldn't help but agree to her request. _Hope_ was a song that he had written himself, but where it started slow it sped up, the notes flowing together harmoniously. It was a song of loss, of sorrow, but it promised a future where there would be no pain or fear.

To make the song even more interesting, he created little of wisps of flames escaping from the flute to form the figure of a man. This fiery figure battled against invisible foes, but he always won. As the song continued two more fiery figures joined, and warmth spread across the children as the recognised the two as a friends. One of the children whispered that it was King Lief, Barda and Jasmine fighting to protect them. Aiden nodded in the child's direction, much to their joy.

The trio of flames then changed, becoming prancing animals, living together peacefully. The animals became birds and shot up into the air, creating an aerial ballet that brought cries of surprise from the children and an applause from the adults. As the song drew to an end Aiden forced the birds to collide, ending with small sparks falling towards the children, but disappearing before they could get hurt.

He laughed as he put his flute down. It had been harder than he thought to maintain the fiery figures and play at the same time, but well worth the result. The children begged for more but Aiden didn't think he had the energy to play another song, never mind stand up to play with them. He raised his hands for silence, something that happened instantly, but before he could speak one of the children near the back let out a gasp, eyes directed skyward. Aiden followed the child's gaze and his face broke out into a grin as he spotted the flying projectile.

"Children, do not be alarmed, she is my friend!"

The flying projectile was of course Hedwig, and she landed on his shoulder, pecking his ear harshly once for leaving her again. Aiden winced at the bite but otherwise grinned. He directed Hedwig onto his lap and pet the top of her head.

"This, children," Aiden began as the children crowded closer in curiosity. "Is the smartest owl in the entire world, and one of my best friends. Her name is Hedwig and she flew all the way from my home far beyond Deltora's borders to find me."

"She's really pretty," Molly stated. She reached up to touch Hedwig's wing, and giggled. "And so soft."

Knowing that she was being talked about, Hedwig extended both her wings, displaying her feathers, and all the children giggled. One by one they came closer so that they could pet Hedwig, with Aiden keeping a close watch on how gentle the children were trying to be, and how tolerant Hedwig was. She endured the pampering the children were giving her, however, and only once all the children had pet her did she climb back to Aiden's shoulder.

"My lady has spoken," Aiden said dramatically. "I must leave now so that she can continue to be treated like the magnificent creature she is."

"Aww," the children groaned as one.

"I will be back tomorrow, I promise!" Aiden cried as he stood up. "And! I think that if every one of you finish all your chores, and you get permission from your parents, I will give you a tour…of the palace."

The children gasped in excitement before running off to their parents. Aiden had one last condition for them, and his voice also reached the parents who were watching.

"I will be checking with your parents to see if you have done your chores properly and have permission, so no lying or cheating!"

"Yes Protector!" the children called. Near the end of his song there had been close to twenty-five children, and he knew that there would be more in the morning. With a smile on his face he started to leisurely walk back to the palace, he figured that Lief would need to be told he was inviting children into his new home, and he wondered if there were any who would be interested in helping him chauffer everyone from room to room. The cook would need to be asked as well, as Aiden wanted to feed the children lunch as well.

"There you are. Where have you been hiding?"

Aiden looked off to the side and grinned as he recognised Doom's tall form leaning against a building. His grin remained in place, but his joy faded as he took in Doom's appearance. The man was clearly pulling the same hours as Lief, as he had dark circles under his eyes and there was a tired slump to his shoulders.

"I have been keeping the children from worrying about what is happening in the Shadowlands," Aiden told him. "And introducing them to Hedwig. She followed me from my old home."

"Hedwig, huh?" Doom stated. He walked closer so that he was towering over Aiden. Hedwig snapped her beak at him before dismissing him and cleaning the feathers of her wings. Doom laughed and pushed Aiden back in the direction of the palace.

"I see she has your temperament," he observed.

"Hedwig has been my friend since I was eleven," Aiden calmly remarked. "I don't know what I would have done without her."

"Well, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Yes, dad?" Aiden asked cheekily. He used the patriarchal endearment to convey that he would do what was in his power to do.

"Brat," Doom sighed, ruffling his hair. Aiden shook his head and tried to smooth his hair down again. "Your opal, may we use it?"

"Your jewel hunt hitting a few snags?" Aiden asked, lifting his hand so that he could touch his opal under his shirt. He hadn't taken the small stone off since Bee had given it to him.

"No opal we have is as close a match as yours."

"Will I ever get it back?" Aiden whispered.

"It will be cut so that it could fit, so it is unlikely."

"What if I could get you one exactly like the one you need?" Aiden asked, eyes darting up again. He was really attached to the stone and was reluctant to part with it.

"How soon could you get it?"

"I would be back before the children come tomorrow."

"What are the children doing tomorrow?" Doom asked suspiciously.

"Oh, I'm giving them a tour of the palace for being awesome. I was on my way to tell Lief."

"Tell him? You're not going to ask for permission?"

"Nope, I figured that he could do with a break. I'm sure that you're aware with how little sleep he's getting? And how uncertain he is about being King of a dying land? And his birthday is tomorrow isn't it? First birthday as King."

"You're right, he turns seventeen tomorrow according to Sharn. She is organising something small for him and his closest friends. And I know that he hasn't been sleeping," Doom admitted quietly as they walked through the gates. "But, dying land? We're still recovering from the Shadow Lord's reign."

"This land has been dying for longer than seventeen years," Aiden told him sternly. "Something is poisoning the land, and to maintain life the land is drawing upon my power. You are not to tell Lief, but with the rate that the land is dying, even if we can somehow free the slaves in the Shadowlands, Deltora will not be able to support us for much longer."

"What does that mean for you?" Doom asked with a touch of fear.

"Without my energy, I will die."

"How long?"

"Two, three years?"

"And you don't want Lief to know, why?"

"As soon as the slaves are rescued I'll tell him," Aiden promised. "Right now, however, his thoughts are on Deltora's border, and getting the Deltorans home."

"I'll hold you to that," Doom warned. "Or I'll tell him myself."

Aiden nodded and darted away, Hedwig now flying above him. Doom shook his head in amusement, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Aiden hadn't told him the worst of the news he had. The fact that he was slowly dying didn't seem to bother him. No, Doom feared that the main cause of Aiden's worry lay with his owl, and with the news that she had from his former home.

At the kitchens Aiden paused and spoke to the cook, discovering what she was to make for Lief's birthday. He changed her plan a little and requested a large lunch for a group of children, one he would make sure Lief was a part of, and then they would have a small dinner in the garden. The cook was very happy to prepare food for the children, a less formal birthday party before the main one, and shooed Aiden away when he offered to help cook. Satisfied that the meals the following day were organized, Aiden took off again to find Lief and inform him of what was happening.

Naturally, Lief had been hesitant to waste a day playing, but in the end agreed to help give the children a tour. He was also happy to realise that he wouldn't be annoyed by his advisors during the children's visit. Barda and Jasmine offered to help as well, and Hedwig struck up a lively conversation with Kree and Jasmine. Aiden wished that he could understand the birds as well as Jasmine could, but the extent of his abilities allowed him to understand how they were feeling.

"Hedwig says that the war has gotten worse," Jasmine stated. Barda, Lief and Aiden turned to look at her, Aiden looking worried. The four of them were in Lief's room, where they would get the most privacy to talk.

"How so?" Aiden asked.

"A lot of families had been killed, and those that survive are staying in a place called…Hogwarts? Hedwig has been staying there also, with the man who is human and dog."

"Sirius?" Aiden asked excitedly. He hadn't considered that his godfather might have been alive.

"Yes, I'm serious," Jasmine replied hotly. "That's what Hedwig said."

"No," Aiden replied with a laugh. "Sirius is the name of my godfather. He can change into a dog the same way I can change into a bird."

"Oh," Jasmine replied, cheeks flushing slightly. Lief and Barda laughed at the misunderstanding before she continued. "Anyway, the war started after you were taken Aiden, but got worse after the failed rescue attempt. There's only a small effort being made to fight, but there is no hope left."

"Did Neville get out?" Aiden asked, looking at Hedwig hopefully. She hooted affirmatively and Aiden breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, I guess this means that I need to write a letter."

"A letter?" Barda asked. "Why would you need to do that?"

"To give them back their hope," Aiden replied. He went over to Lief's desk and pulled out his stationary. "And I want to let them know that the rescue attempt didn't fail, it just didn't work the way they were expecting it to. They need to know that I live."

"Will you be leaving then?" Lief asked carefully.

"No, but maybe one or two could come here," Aiden replied. "I really want to see my friends again…but how could they get here? Port Key and apparition won't work, they need to be able to visualize their destination. Boats won't work because the lighthouse is dark, flying? Was it hard getting here Hedwig?"

"She said it was," Jasmine translated, not knowing what Port Keys or apparition was. "But she knew that you were alive and that she had to get to you."

"How'd she know you were alive?" Barda asked. "From the other side of the world, no less."

"She said that it was like a veil was lifted, and she just knew."

"When the Shadow Lord was driven back to the Shadow Lands," Aiden hypothesized. "The darkness that was over Deltora was lifted, and therefore by link with Hedwig became visible."

Aiden finished off his letter by letting a few drops of blood drip onto the paper, as proof of who he was. He rolled it up and put as many protective charms on it as he could think of. The paper glowed slightly when he was done, but Aiden knew that it would get to the person it needed to.

"Take this to Sirius," he requested his owl. "Rest where you can, but if anyone wants to follow you back here make sure that there is no more than two. Deltora cannot have a sudden influx of strangers, not in this dark time."

Hedwig nodded and accepted the letter regally. Aiden gave her one final pet before she took off out the window and back to Hogwarts. He watched her go until he could no longer see her, before turning back to the others. He smiled at them.

"I'll be back tomorrow, there's something that I need to get."

"You're going? So soon?" Jasmine asked.

"I'll be back before the tour," Aiden promised. "But as I recall there is a special event tomorrow, and I need to acquire a gift."

"Aiden, no," Lief begged. "The last thing I need are gifts!"

"What's tomorrow?" Jasmine asked.

"Lief's seventeenth birthday," Aiden said with a wink. Lief groaned and put his head in his hands.

"I don't need a birthday party," he moaned. "Mother's already doing something, the advisors are pestering me about table decorations, I'm not allowed out of this palace without an armed guard, and I'm going insane!"

Barda and Jasmine looked at each other quickly before their eyes returned to Lief in concern. Aiden shooed them out of the room. The two of them left hesitantly, but Aiden knew that Lief wanted to keep his plans a secret from them.

"You want to tell me what's wrong?"

"This time last year, all I knew was that I was the son of a blacksmith, and one day I would take over the forge from my father," Lief explained. "Now I am the King of Deltora, and everyone wants my opinions and wants me to make decisions on the spot about things I have no knowledge of. I never wanted to be King. All I wanted to do was retrieve the Gems and hand over the running of Deltora to the Heir. Why'd it have to be me?"

"Because there is no one else I would rather serve and protect," Aiden told him seriously. "There is not one single person out there at this very minute who could wear the Belt of Deltora and watch over this land the way that you will. You are not like the Kings and Queens of old, you can empathize with your subjects. That is another reason why I wanted the children in the palace tomorrow. This is your first birthday as King, what better way could you celebrate than by doing it with the future of this country? These children will always remember that instead of locking yourself away, you welcomed them into your home to make your birthday a good day. They already know me from when I hide in the city, but as you said earlier, you haven't been beyond these walls. Hiding in the blacksmith forge doesn't count as no one knows you're there. You are their hero, you saved them, and meeting you will give them hope."

"You really think that?" Lief asked.

"I do," Aiden replied. "Don't doubt yourself, my King. Just be yourself and everything will work out in the end. You will find a living Heir, you will find a way to save everyone from the Shadowlands, and you will be happy. Now, I'm off to get you a present, I will see you tomorrow."

"Wait!" Lief cried. "Before you go, take me to the forge? I want to be somewhere I feel safe, just for tonight."

Aiden nodded and flashed both of them to the forge. Lief retreated to his room, and Aiden renewed the protection on him for the hour or so that he would be gone. When he got back he would sleep in the forge, and bring them back to the palace before the sun rose. Lief's spirit needed to remain unbroken, for otherwise Deltora would fall. Aiden wouldn't let that happen.

Too much depended on him.

* * *

_**Next up in Deltora's Protector:**_

_**Chapter 16 – The World Beneath**_


	16. The World Beneath

Deltora's Protector

Chapter 16 – The World Beneath

* * *

Previously on Deltora's Protector:

_Harry Potter was tortured for months in a prison known as the Island. During his stay he lost his voice and as such can no longer speak. A rescue attempt was made and while Harry managed to get out, it wasn't in England he returned to. He was washed ashore the western shore of Deltora and taken care of by Verity, the spirit girl of Bone Point Lighthouse. Shortly afterwards he met Steven, Nevets and Queen Bee. He was renamed Aiden and spent a few months recovering at Queen Bee's orchard. One day he snuck away to the City of the Rats and became the owner of a fine bracelet. Aiden joined Steven on his rounds and during his adventures became friends with the Ralads, a Dread Gnome, the Resistance and became an enemy of the Shadow Lord. _

_The seven Great Gems of Deltora have been returned to the Belt of Deltora. Lief of Del has been identified as Heir, and the Shadow Lord has been driven from Deltora back to the Shadowlands. But now there are innocent Deltorans stuck in the Shadowlands and there is a cry for Lief to rescue them. But there is still much to be done before a rescue attempt could be considered._

_The adventure continues..._

* * *

_"Why'd it have to be me?"_

_"Because there is no one else I would rather serve and protect," Aiden told him seriously. "There is not one single person out there at this very minute who could wear the Belt of Deltora and watch over this land the way that you will. You are not like the Kings and Queens of old, you can empathize with your subjects. That is another reason why I wanted the children in the palace tomorrow. This is your first birthday as King, what better way could you celebrate than by doing it with the future of this country? These children will always remember that instead of locking yourself away, you welcomed them into your home to make your birthday a good day. They already know me from when I hide in the city, but as you said earlier, you haven't been beyond these walls. Hiding in the blacksmith forge doesn't count as no one knows you're there. You are their hero, you saved them, and meeting you will give them hope."_

_"You really think that?" Lief asked._

_"I do," Aiden replied. "Don't doubt yourself, my King. Just be yourself and everything will work out in the end. You will find a living Heir, you will find a way to save everyone from the Shadowlands, and you will be happy. Now, I'm off to get you a present, I will see you tomorrow."_

_"Wait!" Lief cried. "Before you go, take me to the forge? I want to be somewhere I feel safe, just for tonight."_

_Aiden nodded and flashed both of them to the forge. Lief retreated to his room, and Aiden renewed the protection on him for the hour or so that he would be gone. When he got back he would sleep in the forge, and bring them back to the palace before the sun rose. Lief's spirit needed to remain unbroken, for otherwise Deltora would fall. Aiden wouldn't let that happen._

_Too much depended on him._

* * *

Aiden spent the night in the forge in his phoenix form, resting on Lief's headboard so that when the young King woke he would spot him instantly, and know that he was still safe. It was also in the early hours of the morning that Aiden handed over the small opal that was a perfect match to the one in the Belt. Lief had been ecstatic once the opal fell into his hand.

"Where'd you find this?" he asked. "Doom and I have been searching the treasury for days now."

"I went to the orchard," Aiden admitted as he helped to clean up the small mess they'd made. "It's where Bee got my one, and I know she keeps finding them when she tends to the orchard trees. So I asked her for one. She didn't ask questions so wipe that frown from your face. She trusts me."

"I know that," Lief said slowly. "But the more people who know that I'm looking for small gems that resemble the ones in the Belt…"

"Who says I asked for one for you?" Aiden interrupted grinning. "I get that secrecy is important at the moment. I may have led Bee to believe that I have found myself a girl, one I wanted to impress with an opal."

Lief laughed, and the tension was broken. Aiden flashed them both back to the palace, but to be on the safe side he had them land in the chapel where the palace dead were mourned. The two of them went from there to the kitchens, where they learnt that Lief's disappearance had been noticed…again. Lief groaned and most likely would have dropped his head onto the table if Aiden hadn't dropped a hand on his shoulder in warning. The kitchen staff didn't need to see him acting like a normal teenager.

While Lief ate his breakfast, Aiden spoke with the cook about the preparations for the children, and informed her that he wanted to eat in the courtyard as it was a nice day. The cook agreed with him and promised that lunch would be ready when he was ready for it. Aiden grinned at her happily, and she shooed him away with Lief after wishing him a happy birthday.

As they left the kitchens they were spotted by one of the advisors. Lief softly groaned before turning so that he could deal with him, but Aiden promised that he would be back as he needed to grab the children. With reluctance, Lief nodded and Aiden ran off before anyone could stop him as well.

Minutes later he was back at the fountain where already a dozen or so children were waiting with their parents. A few of them cheered when they spotted him, and Aiden grinned.

"Good morning children," he greeted. "And have you been good for your parents?"

"Yes!" they all cheered. Aiden eyes darted up to confirm with the adults, and they all nodded to his unasked question. His grin widened and he sat down so that he could wait for the other children he knew were coming. He couldn't see Molly, and he knew that the little girl wouldn't miss out on an adventure into the palace.

"Alright," he began. "We're just going to wait for the others. And then when we get inside we'll explore a bit, have some lunch that the cook has agreed to prepare for us, and then I'll bring you back home to your parents. Does that sound good?"

"Yes Protector!" the children replied. One of the parents nervously cleared her throat, and Aiden looked at her with his head tilted to the side.

"Pardon me, Lord Protector, but why are you taking the children into the palace?"

"That is a very good question madam," Aiden told her, not hinting to his distaste at the title 'Lord'. He turned to the other adults and let his voice carry so that all may hear him. "Today is our King's birthday, and he wanted to celebrate with the people of Del. Seeing the children happy, and welcoming them into the palace, would bring him great joy. That is why I am bringing them with me."

"His birthday?" one of the children echoed. "Today's the King's birthday?"

"Do we need to get him a present?" another asked.

"You are his present," Aiden promised. "And if you enjoy yourselves today then I promise it will be the best ever birthday for him. Understand?"

"Yes Protector."

"Protector! Protector! Don't leave without me!"

Aiden turned at the call just in time to catch little Molly as she launched herself at him. He laughed and held her still on his lap, nodding to Molly's mother. His gaze swept over the children, quickly counting off thirty-two. With a decisive nod he stood, setting Molly onto the ground as he did so, and pulled out his flute. He gestured for the children to follow him and then began a merry tune that they could dance along to as they got closer to the palace. He felt like the Pied Piper, leading his loyal followers on a merry game. The thought made him smile.

The guards at the gate didn't stop them from passing, though they did give Aiden a few strange looks. Aiden merely glanced at them, music still flowing from his flute. The children looked around in amazement, not one of them so much as considering running off for a closer look at something. Aiden directed them to stand around the Entrance Hall.

The Entrance Hall was used for the monthly meetings, and was also where most assassination attempts had been made, but as it was the first place in the palace most people saw, Aiden knew that they would need to start there. He changed the tune he was playing, turning to look up the stairs, and all the children followed his gaze. They seemed to be nervous all of a sudden. Aiden put his flute down.

"Remember," he whispered to them. "The King used to live in the city, and he'll be really happy if you act friendly with him. And don't forget to wish him a happy birthday."

"Yes Protector," the children chanted at him. Aiden sighed with a fond shake of his head. No matter what he had tried, not one of the children even considered calling him by his name. He hoped that Lief wouldn't mind being called King, Your Majesty, or some other name the children came up with.

From the top of the stairs appeared Lief, and if Aiden hadn't known better he would have said that Lief looked perfectly in control of himself. However, since he did know Lief better he could tell that Lief had run to be at the stairs in time, and that he was annoyed about something. The children all gasped in awe, and even warning them that Lief liked to treated normally, they all bowed respectfully. Aiden and Lief shared a grin, though Aiden's also had a question in it. Lief shook his head slightly, signalling that he would discuss it later.

Lief spread out his arms in welcome, and was perfectly friendly in his greeting to the children. They all wished him a happy birthday, just like Aiden asked them to, but from there it was like they didn't know what to do. Lief led the children up the stairs and down a few corridors before opening a large door and directing the children inside. Aiden following in behind, and let out a low whistle. He hadn't been in this room before.

"This is where the palace guards train and improve their skills," Lief explained to the awed children. "I figured we could play around a bit, see if we can tire out Barda."

"Thank you, Lief," Barda stated, catching the grin Lief sent his way. "Are these my new recruits then? Aiden, finally decided to enter the training room?"

"It's a very nice room," Aiden told him. "I can see why your muscles are as big as they are. What do you think children, do you think that we can make him cry defeat?"

The children all grinned in anticipation, and Barda's grin slipped a little before returning. He did always like to be challenged, and his recruits could do with a little babysitting for the afternoon.

The training room was massive, and that was an understatement. There was a large open area in the middle of the room for duels with and without weapon, weight machines along the walls to build up muscle, a running track to build up stamina, and Barda was the trainer who built up endurance. Aiden was impressed, and he could see that Barda had put in some effort to giving the children something entertaining to do.

"Well," Barda began, running his hands together. "Have any of you played tug of war before?"

Hands rose slowly, but seeing that others were moving, more hands went up with more enthusiasm. Barda grinned.

"Excellent! I have this rope on the floor, you see it? My new recruits don't see the point in playing this game, so I've put them on one side, and you're going to be on the other. I want you to bring the white flag onto your side of the line. Sound easy? Let's get to it!"

Aiden went with the children, grabbing Lief's shirt on the way so that he would be working with them. The rope was fairly thick, but still slim enough for the children to wrap their hands around it easily enough. There were two lines drawn on the floor, one closer to the children's side, and one closer to the trainees' side. In the middle was a white flag tied around the rope, and the first line that it crossed would win.

"Alright," Lief said, taking charge with a wink to Aiden. "There are more than thirty of us, and there are only ten of them. We should be able to do this if we work together. So everyone grab onto the rope and we'll show these guards that they're not that tough."

The children giggled and ran for the rope. They lifted it easily enough, and where Lief joined them near the front, Aiden went to the back. The two of them grinned at the trainee guards, and Aiden felt particularly cheerful when a few of them gulped, suddenly nervous. He was aware that these new trainees had only joined because their families encouraged them to do so. Others didn't believe that Lief was old enough to rule them, and the rest bore some illusion that Aiden had cheated in becoming Deltora's Protector. Those men believed that they would make a better Protector and had joined to prove it. It was also those men who grinned back at Aiden in clear challenge.

Barda was the referee, and on his mark both sides started to pull. At first, the trainee guards proved their strength by moving the flag their way, but Aiden, Lief and the children pulled back with equal if not greater strength and slowly but surely the flag came their way. Faces were red, hands went white, and teeth were clenched, but as soon as the flag passed over the children's line and were declared victors they let go to dance around in excitement. Little Molly, like Aiden knew she would, launched herself at Lief's legs in excitement.

"And the children win!" Barda bellowed with a laugh. "That was greatly entertaining. Aiden, you should join us more often!"

Aiden shook his head and helped Lief herd the children to another part of the castle. Over his shoulder he ordered Barda to be on time for lunch, before waving to the trainees. He briefly wondered what Lief was planning on doing next, as he hadn't been able to talk to him, Jasmine or Barda about it before collecting the children…but tug of war had been great.

Briefly Lief led them through the dining room and the throne room, going as far to let the children sit on the throne. Each of them agreed that the throne was really uncomfortable and asked Lief how he could stand it.

"Well, that's easy," Lief replied. "I don't sit on it. If someone wants to talk to me I meet them in the entrance hall, unless it's my advisors and then I use my pillow from my room so that I can sit comfortably. Speaking of, let's go somewhere else before they find me."

The children laughed at the playful tone Lief had used, but Aiden knew that he was completely serious. He wondered if they had cornered Lief during the time it had taken for Aiden to collect the children, and if they had been vocal in their displeasure of disrupting palace life to accommodate the children. Aiden added it to his "to talk about" list and followed the children to the aviary.

He wasn't aware that they'd had an aviary, but Jasmine had requested it when Aiden was away and was in the middle of training birds to carry messages. It must have been a joy for her to discover that Hedwig often carried messages from place to place, as her dedication to her project had increased. Jasmine was going to let the children help feed the birds, and even allow them to hold the birds. The children were really excited about that because they had only been able to pet Hedwig for a short time, but as there were many more birds than children, they were all able to hold them.

They all had a great laugh when the birds pooped on Lief's shoulder, and Lief laughed along as well as Aiden pulled the stain from his clothing. They left Jasmine with happy smiles and Aiden ordered her to join them for lunch. Jasmine waved at him with an acknowledgment but otherwise said nothing.

By now the children were naturally hungry, so Lief and Aiden led them towards the courtyard where the cook had already set up was appeared to be a giant picnic. There were blankets on the ground with food in the centre of each blanket and cups ready to be filled with water sitting beside the food. The children excitedly headed for the food, and Lief and Aiden looked at each other happily.

"Thanks for this," Lief whispered.

"You're welcome," Aiden whispered back. "Who were you running from earlier?"

"My advisors," Lief muttered, good mood temporarily disturbed. "They wanted to talk about cancelling the monthly meetings on account of it being too dangerous. Something along the lines of once I have an Heir I could do whatever I wanted to my health."

"Set Barda on them, he could use a workout especially since his recruits were defeated by children."

"I wish, I'll just have to talk to mother. Sometimes it's like she's the only person they'll listen to, and even then it's only sometimes."

"Go and eat, Your Majesty," Aiden said with a bow. "Your subjects appear to be saving us seats, we wouldn't want to disappoint them, would we?"

Lief shook his head but nonetheless made himself comfortable on the ground and accepted the sandwich Molly was holding out for him. Once he was eating Molly went over to Aiden and gave him a sandwich as well. Laughter echoed out from the courtyard, and eventually Barda, Jasmine, and the defeated trainee guards joined them. The children all wanted to touch the Belt of Deltora, so Lief allowed them to do so under careful watch. He didn't want anyone touching the Opal, but he didn't see any harm in letting them touch the other Gems.

"It's warm," Aaron said shyly.

"It's happy that you're here," Lief told him.

"How do you know?" Molly asked, crumbs all over her face.

"When the people of Deltora are happy, then so is the Belt," Lief explained. "Just like when the land is happy, Aiden knows because he represents our land."

The children laughed a little, though they felt a lot better about themselves after eating and touching the Belt. Only once was the afternoon mood muffled, and that was when one of the little boys asked about the slaves in the Shadowlands. His father had been captured during the Shadow Lord's rein, and he wanted to know if he would ever come back.

"If we find anything that can help us," Lief told them all. "Then we will get our people back. I promise you I will do everything I can to see to it."

Aiden drew in a slow breath at his declaration. How on Earth was Lief going to fulfil that promise? He couldn't pass Deltora's boarder. Not unless he had…an Heir. Aiden's eyes went wide as he understood why Lief was looking so hard for an Heir in Tora, it wasn't just to safeguard the land, it was so that he could personally go to the Shadowlands.

_You're going to need more than a decoy to get across the border_, he told Lief through their mental link. _How do you plan to rescue more than a hundred slaves?_

_I'm still working on the details_, Lief replied without taking his eyes off the boy who had spoken. _More thought will go into this plan once I have located an Heir._

Aiden shook his head slightly before gathering all the children together so that they could be returned to their parents. As they were walking the children out to where the adults were waiting at the gates, Molly broke free from the group and ran back to Lief. She had apparently written a birthday card for the King, and had almost forgotten to give it to him. Lief accepted it with a bright smile, before she skipped off to her mother, happy now that she had given her King his birthday present. Aiden laughed softly when he returned to Lief's side.

"So, now that you've had your birthday fun, let's go and find you an Heir," he said quietly so that no one would overhear him. Lief nodded and they turned to walk to the library.

* * *

Weeks passed, assassination attempts became more frequent, Lief stopped sleeping from the hours of work he was putting in, and Aiden juggled his freedom with the children with nights in the library. Everyone was exhausted. Doom was helping Lief in the forging of a new Belt, and they were almost done. All that was left was to set the fake gems into it, and keep it hidden until it would be needed. But that wasn't the cause of joy, it was what Aiden had discovered one night in the library.

In his excitement Aiden flashed into the forge holding the paper and proudly displayed them to Lief and Doom, a wide grin over his face. He had found a living descendent of Adin's second child. Lief was excited, and in his excitement it was like his weariness of the hours of secret work had never happened. Doom was also excited, and he pulled Aiden into a hug to convey his relief that their research had finally borne fruit.

"I'll head over to Tora once the sun is up," Aiden explained. "I'm going to talk with Zeean and maybe we could hand this research over to the Torans. After all, the Torans are the ones who have Adin's Heirs living among them."

"Great," Lief said reclining back on his chair and staring at the documents in his hands. "Stay with them for a while and then Doom and I will join you so that we can bring…Marilen…back with us if she is willing."

"Alright, how far off from completion are you?"

"Another two nights and I should be done," Lief said with relief. "Doom can look after me while you're gone. And Barda will be back in a few days so it should be fine."

"I still want you to call me if something happens," Aiden cautioned him, pulled away from Doom's hold. "You're still in a lot of danger, and the enemy is desperate."

"I'll watch his back," Doom promised. "Go sleep for an hour or two. When you wake up, eat something, and then go. I know you haven't been eating again. I'm going to be on Queen Bee's bad side permanently if you don't put some weight on."

Aiden stuck out his tongue at him before taking the papers back from Lief. He flashed back to the library and packed up the documents he would be taking with him, noticing that some of the papers had been moved. He wondered if when he had transformed and flashed away the brief wind had disturbed them, but put it out of his mind. He was beyond exhausted, and not in the least but hungry.

Not wanting to waste time sleeping, he put the papers into a bag and transformed back into his phoenix form. He would sleep on the outskirts of Tora, the magic keeping him safe, and once the sun was at a decent height he would fly the rest of the way into the city.

Moments later he was gone.

* * *

"Aiden, how good to see you again," Zeean greeted when Aiden casually walked through the protected passageway. "I wish I could say that you look well, but you look exhausted. When was the last time you had a decent meal or slept?"

"Too much to do, too little time to do it in," Aiden replied. "I need to talk to you about something really important. Are you busy at the moment?"

"I am at your service Protector, what can I help you with?"

The two of them walked to one of the many marble buildings and sat down. Zeean poured them both some tea to drink, and Aiden drank his with a sigh of contentment, he loved Toran Tea. As they drank Aiden pulled out the documents he had collected the night before and explained how they were looking for an Heir in case something fatal happened to Lief. They didn't want to leave Deltora open to attack. Zeean listened as he explained, her facial expression not changing. Once he was done she asked who he had identified.

"A girl named Marilen. She is the descendent of Adin's second child. Our time has been short, but as you probably know, Adin had five children, all of whom married Torans. There are many more Heirs in the city, and Lief and I were wondering if you would like to help?"

"I would be more than happy to help," Zeean said. "I will summon Marilen and her father. Her mother died a long time ago, so I'm not sure how willing her father will be to let her go."

"I would like to speak with them, and if she is willing I could have Lief here in two days if he doesn't get himself killed while I'm gone."

Zeean smiled at him, though she recognised the truth in his statement. Aiden remained where he was sitting, too comfortable to move. In hindsight, he recognised that he'd pushed himself too hard again, and promised to rest as much as he could while he was in Tora. His opal was warning him of another adventure in his future, and he knew Lief had his heart set on rescuing the slaves in the Shadowlands. But his visions only showed him, Lief, Barda and Jasmine…no one else. If they were rescuing the slaves, why were they doing it alone and not with an army? He hoped it wouldn't be a suicide mission.

"Protector?"

Aiden startled as a soft voice broke into his thoughts. He turned in his seat and smiled sheepishly at the young Toran girl who had entered the room curiously. Behind her was a man, presumably her father, and Zeean.

"You look tired Protector," the girl told him. "Have you been sleeping at all?"

"Not recently," Aiden admitted. "You are Marilen?"

"I am, Zeean said that you had something important to discuss with me?"

"Please, sit, this may take a while."

Zeean, Marilen and her father sat down across from Aiden, and Aiden began his story again. He stressed the importance of Lief having an Heir in case something happened, and spoke of the long hours in the library combing through documents on Toran families. Marilen took the news that she was an Heir of Adin fairly well, and that was she went pale and probably would have collapsed if Aiden hadn't moved around the table to catch her. She was clearly terrified.

"I couldn't be the Heir of Deltora," she told Aiden. "If anything happened to the King, I don't think I could handle the responsibility. And leave Tora? Aside from the time we spent in the Valley, this has been my home for forever."

"Please understand Marilen," Aiden told her, his hands holding hers on her lap. "You would be a safeguard, nothing more. I have no intention of letting Lief get himself killed. The enemy does not know of our research into Toran families, its attention is more focused on ensuring that Lief tries to rescue the Deltorans in the Shadowlands."

"It has always been a silly tradition for the Kings and Queens to only have one child," Zeean spoke up. "I have these documents with me, and I will begin to track down other Heirs in Tora. The people won't have to fear a King or Queen dying childless now, for Adin's blood still flows through us."

"But to leave Tora?" Marilen's father protested. "Would she be safe in Del?"

"I assure you, no harm will befall Marilen in Del," Aiden promised. "If we can get her there under the cover of dark, no one need know that she even there. And, she will be able to return here as soon as Lief finishes this latest adventure."

"What adventure?" Marilen asked.

"My opal has been showing me visions of Lief travelling through darkness. I know he is trying to free the slaves in the Shadowlands, but I'm hoping between now and the time this vision comes to pass he will have more of a plan then 'let's go to the Shadowlands and see what happens'."

"Will you go with him?" Zeean asked in concern.

"As far as the border," Aiden said, looking up at her. "As much as I would like to follow him, I am _Deltora's_ Protector, not the Shadowlands' Protector. I am unable to leave Deltora's borders while I wear this bracelet, and taking it off, I feel, will only bring another Dark Lord to these shores to finish me off. No, Lief will have to fight on his own."

"There's nothing that you can do to help him?" Marilen asked in horror. "But, if he dies…"

"Then I will return to Del to protect you," Aiden told her, his green eyes returning to her blue ones. "Nothing will happen to you, I promise. And as for not helping him…I think there's something I can do. But I will need to know when he plans to go so that I may arrange it. I know someone who would love to storm the Shadowlands."

"When will you go and ask them?" Marilen's father asked, his hands on Marilen's shoulders. "How long will King Lief be gone?"

"A month or so, I think," Aiden said, closing his eyes and concentrating. "The path I see us taking is, long and dark."

"What if something happened in Del while you were gone?" the man asked further.

"Before I go I will teach Marilen how to contact me," Aiden promised. "As soon as she summons me I will be by her side in seconds. I assure you, she will be safe."

"Are you willing to do this Marilen?" Zeean asked.

"I…may I think about this?" Marilen asked nervously.

"Of course," Aiden told her, shock in his voice. "I would never expect you to give me a decision now. I would like you to think this through. You have to want to be Adin's Heir, for only then will we be safe."

"And if I say no?"

"There are more Heirs in this city," Aiden smiled. "I hope that you all would help in finding more of them. I know there are no secrets amongst the Torans."

"I will give you my answer tomorrow," Marilen assured him. She and her father stood and left the room, bowing at the door. Aiden sunk back further onto the ground.

"Will the Belt accept someone who in not the next in line?" Zeean asked quietly.

"As long as they have my blessing," Aiden told her.

"You are tired, go and sleep. I will have some food brought up during the lunch hour."

"I may sleep through it to be honest, and if anything happens to Lief I will be gone instantly."

"He is fairly trouble prone isn't he?"

Aiden smiled, not answering that question either way. Zeean nodded at him before leaving the room. Over her shoulder she reminded him to get some sleep. Aiden waited until she was gone before dragging his body over to one of the couches. His body sank into it with a tired sigh, and moments later he was unconscious. He didn't so much as stir for the rest of the day, not even when Zeean brought food for him. He was out for the count.

* * *

Two days later Aiden felt like a whole new person. He had actually slept for around twenty hours after his arrival in Tora, and Zeean had only stared at him sternly when he had finally woken and enquired about how long he had slept for. She gave him a lecture about not looking after himself properly, and Aiden allowed her to do so, not giving away that it was more than his poor health habits causing his exhaustion. Deltora was dying, and Aiden considered that maybe two to three years had been a little optimistic of him. Two years might have been stretching it.

Marilen had stopped by to talk to him at length about what her expected duties would be while she was in Del, and seemed to be relieved when Aiden promised her that she wouldn't be expected to do anything but remain hidden. They briefly touched on what would happen if Lief died, but Aiden promised her that if another Heir could be found in Tora, then Marilen need not go to Del at all. The blood of Adin and the Protector's blessing were all that were needed to keep the land safe from the Shadow Lord.

"The first Protector was paranoid," Aiden explained when Marilen asked about why his blessing was needed. "So he cast certain spells on the bracelet that linked it to the Belt, so that if it ever broke or the King or Queen was deemed unfit, the Protector of that age would be able to choose another of Adin's bloodline to take over. Unfortunately, some centuries ago the Protector abandoned this land because the Kings and Queens were too weak and the Protector's power was being slowly stifled. Every generation was that little bit weaker, and I suppose that the last Protector knew that they would need to lie low until they were needed again to give back hope to Deltora."

After that Marilen was intrigued about where he had come from, so Aiden explained his past for her. He didn't go into too much detail about the horrors he had seen, but they did discuss the sea creature that had saved his life before he had even seen Deltora. Marilen was positive that the creature had been acting on behalf of the land's wishes, but she was curious as to why Aiden had been picked.

"You say that it's because you had the right qualities," Marilen said. "But could it be more than that? Who's to say that it was an accident? Your ancestor could very well have been the first Protector, and through his bloodline you are able to control the bracelet as Lief is able to wear the Belt."

"But that would mean that the last Protector not only abandoned this land, but completely forsook it," Aiden protested. "I couldn't imagine leaving Deltora and never speaking of it again. No, I know I could never leave this place."

"But somewhere in your family tree, there must be some Deltoran blood."

"Say you're right," Aiden conceded to her. "How would we find out? Most documents in the Del Library were burned by the Kings and Queens of Old. And I don't have access to my family's history."

"The first Protector was not Deltoran born," Marilen informed him. "He came from beyond our shores. Maybe that's why you were destined to stand beside Lief. Both you and the first Protector were strangers to this land, so you see if better than we do."

"I suppose," Aiden muttered. "I will have to think on this. What you say makes a great deal of sense, I will have to go back to the Del Library for more research."

"As long as you're not in there all the time," Marilen laughed. "You have been working way too hard to sleep for twenty hours without stirring."

Aiden shrugged, a little embarrassed at how exhausted he had actually been. Marilen left him shortly after, making sure that he was eating before she left, and went to talk with her father. Lief would be arriving in the morning so she would need to have made her decision by then.

In the early hours of the next morning Aiden was awake and flashing to Del before even realising what he was doing. Still in phoenix form, Aiden hovered in the middle of Lief's room and watched as the boy attacked his pillow with his sword over and over again. He transformed as Doom and Jasmine burst into the room and dropped to the ground lightly, aware that he was only wearing sleep pants.

"Morning all," he greeted with a yawn. "I was hoping to spend a few more hours sleeping before coming back."

"You certainly look better than the last time I saw you," Doom told him, sheathing his sword and turning to look at Lief. Aiden grinned and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Yeah, was a bit more tired than I thought."

"You slept for twenty hours," Lief told him, sinking on his own bed tiredly. "I admit that I was envious."

"Twenty hours? Aiden…" Doom began.

"Relax dad, we're all doing our part to protect this land," Aiden stated before Doom could continue. "Besides, I didn't have any scorpions in my bed this morning."

"Yeah, that could have ended badly," Lief agreed.

"How can you two be so calm?" Jasmine demanded of them. "If you had put your head on that pillow Lief…"

"Fortunately, I did not," Lief told her. He looked at his soiled sheets with dismay and was about to strip them but Aiden waved his hand and got rid of the stains. Lief thanked him with his eyes and lay back on the bed with a sigh of relief. Jasmine ignored them and walked over to the window. She tugged at the bars and they came away in her hands.

"The bars have been sawn through, and then replaced," she said. "So that is how the assassin entered."

Jasmine's eyes narrowed as she took in the rising sun and the fact that Lief was only just now getting into bed. Aiden spotted the look and decided to get rid of the awkward questions by jumping onto Lief's bed and lying down next to him.

"Shove over," he ordered. "Wake me before we need to be in Tora."

"Tora?!" Jasmine spluttered. "Lief, you cannot leave Del now! People are clamouring to see you. You _cannot_ run away."

"I do only what I must," Lief murmured, already half asleep. "You kick me in your sleep Aiden, and I'm going to push you onto the floor."

"You can try," Aiden told him. "Now shut up."

Jasmine continued to splutter even as Doom led her from the room. Aiden cracked his eyes open as they left before sitting up and looking at Lief. Lief sighed, though he didn't open his eyes, but Aiden knew he was still awake.

"I'm done," Lief told him. "We'll leave in a few hours. What did Marilen say?"

"She'll have a decision made by the time you get there," Aiden whispered back, conscious that there may have been others outside listening in. "I am confident she will come, though. I like her."

"Of course you do."

"Shut up."

"Go to sleep Aiden."

"Go to sleep yourself."

"And don't let mother see you without a shirt on, we can count your ribs."

"I haven't been hungry."

"You're never hungry."

"It takes too much energy to eat."

Lief opened his eyes and stared at Aiden seriously. Aiden was still sitting up, but with the direction the conversation had taken he had pulled his knees up to his chest to hide his body. Aiden looked at him once before turning his head so that he wouldn't have to look at him.

"You told me that you were able to recover the energy that the land takes from you easily."

"I could," Aiden whispered. "But I don't think you quite understand what is happening to Deltora. Something is poisoning this land, and the more energy I give it, the faster the poison spreads."

"Were you going to tell me?"

"I was going to after the slaves were freed from the Shadowlands. It's what we should be focusing on. Once you have silenced the enemy's voice in the streets, you can focus on the internal problems."

"How serious are the internal problems?"

"Not as serious as freeing the slaves," Aiden told him. "I'm going to head back to Tora. Something about the city prevents the land from leeching off me, and I have been able to regain some of my energy."

Lief nodded, though Aiden could tell that he hadn't relieved any worries that Lief had had, only added to them. Still, it was good to tell him. As King, Lief needed to know that his land was dying in order to do something about it, and Aiden knew that he couldn't do it by himself. In the past he may have thought he could, but he knew that the solution would only be discovered by working as a group.

Aiden returned to Tora and curled up under his blankets again. He would sleep for another few hours, and then he would inform Zeean that Lief and Doom were on their way. As he drifted off, an almost unbearably sweet tune echoed in his mind, but he was unconscious before he could think on it.

* * *

Lief and Doom arrived in Tora shortly before the sun reached the highest point in the sky, and Aiden thanked the powers of Toran magic for getting them from Del to Tora in only a few hours. Lief was spending a few minutes talking to Marilen, making sure that she knew what she was getting herself into.

"You are willing, Marilen?" he asked her, taking her hand in his. If Aiden hadn't known better, he would have thought that Lief was proposing. A grin spread across his features and he had to physically restrain himself from laughing. He could only image the rumours that would be spreading like wildfire across Del. He wondered if he should start up a betting pool on who would be the most vocal that Lief was looking for a Toran wife.

"Toran magic will not protect Marilen so far away in Del," Marilen's father said, still unsure about letting Marilen leave. "She is my only child, and very precious to me."

"Marilen is precious to the whole of Deltora now," Doom said kindly. "She will be well guarded."

"Whatever I have will be hers," Lief promised. "And my mother will treat her as her own. I know that she's always wanted a daughter to spoil."

"Her own mother would have been very proud this day," Marilen's father murmured.

"I am willing," Marilen said, her eyes flickering to Aiden as a blush stole over her pale features. "It is a great honor. I will try to be worthy."

"You will not have to try, Marilen," both Zeean and Aiden said at the same time. They looked at each other in slight surprise before they grinned. Zeean turned back to Marilen so that she could continue.

"This day will do much to undo the evils of the past," Zeean gestured to the documents that Aiden had brought over days earlier. "It is not the way of Torans to keep old writings. We left that to the librarians on Del. A mistake, perhaps, but we will study these carefully now."

"Indeed," Marilen's father agreed fervently.

"Thank you," Lief said. "And there is something more that-"

"Perhaps we should leave Marilen to prepare for her journey?" Doom interrupted smoothly. Aiden wondered why, as he had discussed the journey that he knew Lief would be undertaking soon and what she would be expected to do when they were gone. He wondered if this was just some way of protecting Marilen from the horrors that were still plaguing Deltora.

Marilen left the room with her father, but Zeean stayed and poured some drinks for the visitors. She glared sternly at Aiden before he stepped forward from the shadows he had been comfortably standing in and accepted the drink.

"And so, Lief," Zeean said, her eyes still observing Aiden to make sure that he actually drank his tea. "What did you want to ask me, that even Marilen must not know?"

"The prisoners in the Shadowlands," Lief said, leaning forward slightly. "Is there a chance – any at all – that Toran magic could help us set them free?"

Zeean's brow creased as she shook her head. "I am sorry. Our power within Tora is great, but outside our boundaries it is very limited. It could not aid you in your quest to the Shadowlands. Aiden's power has a greater chance than our own, though I don't believe his could extend too far beyond Deltora."

"Anything that I attempt to do from this side of the mountains that will affect the Shadowlands will drain what little energy I have that I'm not already giving to the land. There would need to be something on the other side I could link to, draw upon its power to conserve my own."

"I fear you must accept that there is nothing that would do so, Lief," Zeean continued after Aiden finished his explanation. "According to legend, the only thing that the Shadow Lord ever feared in his own domain was the music of the Pirran Pipe."

Aiden and Lief gasped at the same time, though Aiden was pretty sure that it was for different reasons. While Lief was no doubt listening to the music of the Pipe, Aiden was seeing it. There was a young boy with pale skin, wisps of blonde hair, and large ears who was playing the most amazing song Aiden had ever heard…and he was in the Shadowlands. Aiden had no doubt that they would find this Pipe, and they would make it to the Shadowlands.

"I am alright," Lief said, pushing away Doom's hands. "Aiden? What do you see?"

"Lots of different things," Aiden replied, shaking his head and rubbing his eyes. He laughed a little. "This is going to be a lot of fun."

"Zeean, this Pirran Pipe," Lief said, drawing his eyes from Aiden. "Tell me…"

"The Pipe's magic was a thing of legend, not truth I think, and I know little of it," Zeean told him. "Aiden, if you don't drink all of that I'm going to instruct Marilen to assign you meals and watch you eat them."

Aiden wrinkled his nose and quickly sculled his tea. Marilen was quiet demanding when it came to food, and Aiden had no intention of becoming one of her projects that needed to be fattened up. Lief begged for the story anyway, and Zeean sighed before explaining what little she knew.

"The Pirran Pipe is – or was – a flute, or pipe, of great magic and power. It is said to have existed in the lands beyond the mountains long, long ago…before they became the Shadowlands."

"So – this Pipe existed _before_ the rise of the Shadow Lord?" Doom asked curiously.

"Indeed. I heard of it as a child. From a Jalis traveller I met by the river. It was part of a tale he told me as he caught fish for his dinner. But what the tale was…" Zeean thought back, trying to remember the tale but drew up blank. "I am sorry. It was so long ago. I remember only what I have told you, and the strange, rough looks and speech of the man. Also, that he said…he said the tale was first told to a girl child of my own years, by a black bird."

"Then it was one of the Tenna Birdsong Tales!" exclaimed Doom. "Ancient Jalis folk stories, I have heard Glock speak of them."

"I would not have thought Glock a very reliable source of information," Zeean said dryly.

"His memory is perfect when he is recalling stories of his people," Aiden told her. "He used to tell me about them all the time when I couldn't speak and interrupt him."

"If you say so," Zeean told him. "But if these Birdsong stories are of the Jalis, you can soon find out about the Pirran Pipe. The folk tales of all the seven tribes are in the first volume of _The Deltora Annals_. Adin insisted that-"

Lief groaned with frustration, breaking into her explanation. Zeean asked him what was wrong and Lief explained.

"All the volumes of _The Deltora Annals_ were burned in the time of King Alton, my grandfather."

"Burned?" Zeean asked, her face one of horror. "But the _Annals_ contained Deltora's oldest history! It was the only record…"

"Indeed," Lief said. "But it was burned, nonetheless, on the orders of King Alton's chief advisor, Prandine. The palace librarian who was forced to carry out the order was a man called Josef. He threw himself on the flames, rather than live with the knowledge of what he had done."

"Terrible," Zeean breathed, and Aiden nodded in agreement. "Why burn the _Annals_?"

"Because a land which does not remember its history can never learn the lessons of its past," Doom said sombrely. "I fancy those old books contained things the Shadow Lord wanted forgotten. Among them, perhaps, the Tenna Birdsong Tales. One in particular…"

"The tale of the Pirran Pipe?" Lief asked.

"Why not?" Doom asked him. "There are those who claim that many of the old folk tales are based on the truth."

"Steven told me about the _Tale of the Sorcerer_," Aiden explained. "That story was about how the Shadow Lord came to Deltora, and why he wanted to destroy it so much. It's quite sad actually."

"You cannot surely have it in your minds to try and find the Pirran Pipe?" Zeean asked them, her eyes flickering between the three of them. "Why, that is madness! If the Pipe ever existed at all, it surely exists no longer. Its country has become the Shadowlands! And, whatever the Shadow Lord feared, it did not defeat him."

"We do not yet know the whole story," Lief told her. "There may have been a reason…"

"Indeed," Doom said. "We must return to Del with all speed, as soon as Marilen can be ready. We must speak to Glock. He may not be the most reliable storyteller we could find, but he is the only Jalis left alive in Deltora. The only one who might be able to tell us what we need to know."

Aiden nodded, but already a plan of his own was forming in his mind. He would journey with Lief for as long as the Toran magic could carry them, but then he needed to visit the forests between Raladin and the orchard. There was something that he needed to ask Sion.

* * *

By the time Aiden returned to Del, satisfied with how his meeting with Sion had gone, it was to discover that Lief had already run off after Jasmine and Glock with only Barda and Jinx with him, and hadn't told him that he was going. Aiden narrowed his eyes slightly as Doom told him what Lief had done, and the fact that no one knew Lief had even returned.

However, Doom had introduced Aiden to a librarian who had returned from the dead to give them the knowledge they needed. Josef the librarian, who had been assumed dead after throwing himself on the fires of the books, had faked his death and hidden in the city of Del with the entire collection of _The Deltora Annals_. He allowed Aiden to look at the pages Lief had stared at, and after reading through the story of _The Pirran Pipe_ and _The Girl with the Golden Hair_, Aiden went to visit Marilen.

"Are you going after him?" Marilen asked once he was in her room. "Is he going to be alright?"

"Once I've finished scolding him he will be," Aiden told her. "Now, before I go I need to walk you through how to contact me if you need me. I will probably contact you every so often so that I can find out what's happening this side of Deltora, and I'll let you know how the quest is going."

"How?"

"Hands on the Belt, think of me, of wanting to talk to me, and think what you want to say."

Marilen placed her hands on the Belt hidden under her shirt. She was wearing a long skirt, and the way that the shirt fell made it seem that it was all one garment. However, she was able to accurately make a connection with Aiden's mind.

_Hello?_

Aiden grinned and placed his own hand on his bracelet.

_Hello yourself. Do you think you could do this without me here? All you need to do is keep your hands on the Belt._

_I can do this, will you be safe?_

"I will be safe," Aiden said aloud. "Lief will be safe, you will be safe, and if anything happens here, and I mean anything, I want you to contact me and I will be here as soon as I can."

"Be careful Aiden."

"Don't worry Marilen," Aiden said with a cheeky smile. "We'll be fine, and if what I expect will happen, happens, then the next time we see each other we will have freed the people trapped in the Shadowlands."

"Good luck Aiden, and don't wear yourself out too much. We need you here too."

Aiden nodded before transforming and flashing away. He appeared high above Del and flew north. He knew where he was going, his opal had already shown him the way. Next stop:

The world beneath…

* * *

_**Next up in Deltora's Protector:**_

_**Chapter 17 – Gratitude of the Plumes**_

* * *

**On a side note, would you like me to upload the stories of**_** the Pirran Pipe **_**and**_** the Girl with the Golden Hair**_**? If I get enough positive responses that will be the next chapter of this before I go into the next part of this story, otherwise I won't. Sorry it took me so long to upload this. My only excuse was that I read a really cool Digimon/Harry Potter fanfiction (Keepers of the Worlds by thegenuineimitation)and I just had to write a Digimon/Harry Potter story of my own. **

**So many ideas, so little time to write them all down.**


	17. Gratitude of the Plumes

Deltora's Protector

Chapter 17 – Gratitude of the Plumes

* * *

Previously on Deltora's Protector:

_Harry Potter was tortured for months in a prison known as the Island. During his stay he lost his voice and as such can no longer speak. A rescue attempt was made and while Harry managed to get out, it wasn't in England he returned to. He was washed ashore the western shore of Deltora and taken care of by Verity, the spirit girl of Bone Point Lighthouse. Shortly afterwards he met Steven, Nevets and Queen Bee. He was renamed Aiden and spent a few months recovering at Queen Bee's orchard. One day he snuck away to the City of the Rats and became the owner of a fine bracelet. Aiden joined Steven on his rounds and during his adventures became friends with the Ralads, a Dread Gnome, the Resistance and became an enemy of the Shadow Lord. _

_The seven Great Gems of Deltora have been returned to the Belt of Deltora. Lief of Del has been identified as Heir, and the Shadow Lord has been driven from Deltora back to the Shadowlands. But now there are innocent Deltorans stuck in the Shadowlands and there is a cry for Lief to rescue them. _

_The adventure continues..._

* * *

_The Tale of the Pirran Pipe_

_Long, long ago, beyond the Mountains, there was a green land called Pirra, where the breezes breathed magic. Jealous Shadows lurked on Pirra's borders, but the land was protected by a mysterious Pipe, which played notes of such beauty that no evil could take root within the sound of its voice. _

_The Pipe was played morning, noon, and evening by the people's chief, the Piper, who was the finest player in the land._

_One dark winter's night, the Piper of those days passed away in her sleep. The next day, three great musicians offered themselves as her replacement. They were called Plume the Brave, Auron the Fair, and Keras the Unknown._

_The three played in turn before the people, as was the custom. Plume's playing was so stirring that the crowd cheered. Auron's music was so beautiful that her audience wept. Keras created sounds so haunting that all who heard them were rapt in wonder._

_When the people voted to choose their favourite, each player received an equal number of votes. The three played again, and again. But each time the result was the same._

_Night fell, but the testing went on. The people, who had by now separated into three groups according to their favourite, grew tired and angry. But each person wanted his or her own choice to become Piper, and would not vote for another._

_At last, long after midnight, when the vote was called equal for the thirteenth time, the three groups turned furiously upon one another, using their magic to insult and injure._

_A man in a hooded cloak stepped forward. He was tall, but bent with weakness, as though the long day and night of music had been almost beyond his endurance. Each section of the crowd thought that he was one of its own, for he had spent time with all three, urging its members to hold firm._

"_I have a solution, my friends!" he cried. "Let the contestants share the honour of being Piper. The Pipe is made from three parts which fit together. Let Plume, Auron and Keras each take one part of the whole."_

_And so tired, so angry had the people become that they agreed. They gave Plume the mouthpiece of the Pipe, Auron the middle stem, and Keras the end piece. Then, because they still had bad feelings for one another, the three groups went their separate ways, each group following its own favourite. _

_The hooded man rubbed his hands, well satisfied, and slipped away like a shadow before the rising of the sun._

_The dawn broke with no sound of music and the long day passed in silence, for the three rival groups were far apart, and no one piece of the Pirran Pipe could play alone._

_Shadows crept into Pirra. Trees withered in their shade and flowers wilted. Little by little the Shadows swallowed up the green fields, the pleasant villages, while every moment the dread power cloaked within them grew stronger._

_Too late, the three groups realised their danger. Shadows now rolled dark between them. They could not reach one another to make the Pipe whole. And at last, seeing that their land was lost, they were forced to use the last of their magic to escape, and save themselves._

_So it was that the green land of Pirra became the Shadowlands. Its people, still blaming one another for their ancient loss, dwell to this day on three separate islands in a strange and secret sea. _

_And the Pirran Pipe, forever divided, is heard no more._

* * *

_Ooh, a dragon_, Aiden thought as he disappeared under the ground. He hovered for a moment, staring at the golden hide of the dragon, before sitting next to its head and returning to his human form. He could see the narrow passageway next to the dragon's head, and promised himself that he would follow it in a minute. The last dragon that he had gotten up close and personal with had been the Hungarian Horntail during the First Task, and this dragon had a powerful magnificence about it that the Horntail hadn't.

_Doran?_

Aiden started as the foreign voice invaded his mind. The eye of the dragon opened slightly, pools of gold staring at him. The hope, longing and loneliness that had been present in the voice brought tears to Aiden's eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He reached out and put his hand on the dragon's nose, not trusting his voice, and spoke directly into the dragon's mind.

_I'm afraid not. Doran has been gone for a great many years now._

_Who are you?_

_Aiden, Deltora's Protector._

_You look just like him._

The dragon closed his eyes again before going back to sleep. Aiden kept his hand on the dragon's head for a few moments longer before standing. Doran had been a famous explorer of Deltora, the greatest to have ever roamed the land. Many maps in existence in the Del Library had been drawn by Doran, and were far more accurate than any other drawn. He had also been a lover of dragons, hence the name Doran Dragonlover that the people of Deltora had bestowed upon him to destroy him. Dragons had never been considered friendly; in fact most saw them as nothing more than monsters.

But for the golden dragon to have known Doran, that meant that several centuries had passed while it had slept. There were no pictures of Doran, he had been labelled mad before the end, so Aiden had no idea if he looked like the man or not. He put it out of his mind and walked through the narrow passageway. He walked calmly, but not even he could prevent the shout of surprise as the ground beneath him disappeared and he fell into an underground river.

The water was freezing, and it was deep. He flailed for a moment before remembering his swimming lessons and forced his body to float. He sighed in frustration. He couldn't transform into his phoenix form when he was wet, and the firebird couldn't handle water. He wondered how long he would be able to float, his wet clothes would pull him down sooner or later, and then no one would find him or know what had happened.

"This is ridiculous," he murmured. The walls and roof of the cave around him were gold, and the reflection on the water made it seem as if the water was liquid gold. The water also tasted horrible, there was a faint metallic flavour to it, but it was the cold that really got to Aiden. He hated being wet, and he hated being cold. Swimming in the Broad River next to the orchard was different, because while he was there it was warm and he could sit next to the water to dry in the sun. This place had no shore, and there was a high chance that he wouldn't live to see dry land.

Seeing as he had time, Aiden decided that he would experiment with his magic. He froze the water in front of him, making an icy raft, before transfiguring it into wood. He pulled his cold body up onto it, and lay on his back. It wasn't big enough for his whole body, but it was big enough for him to lay on it and stay mostly out of the water.

* * *

An hour later Aiden sneezed. The force of the sneeze nearly sent him back into the water but he was able to regain his balance before that happened. Some time ago he had pulled his legs out of the water and was sitting cross-legged on the wooden raft, but while he was balancing his head was hanging limply because he was tired. The walls had long since lost its golden glow and were now ruby red. Aiden kept his eyes closed because he didn't want to look at the red water. It was too much like floating down a river of blood.

A shiver went across his body, and Aiden pulled his arms close to him to preserve what little warmth he had left. His shirt had dried, mostly, but his pants were still wet from where the water would wash over the top of the raft. He really hoped that he wasn't getting sick for he didn't have any energy to spare for healing himself.

Willing to risk it, he created a ball of blue fire to chase away the cold. He held it in his hands and smiled as the shivers faded. He lifted his head and looked forward, hoping to see some sign of Lief or the others. He told himself that when he saw Lief he would hit him for not waiting for him. How was he supposed to protect the King if the King didn't want to be protected?

A wave that was bigger than any previously washed over the top of the raft with such force that Aiden almost lost his balance. His body rocked as he tried to stay out of the water and on the raft, and his eyes narrowed angrily. He hoped that this was a part of Lief's plan for rescuing those trapped in the Shadowlands, because otherwise he was going to kick his butt.

Up ahead was the sound of waves crashing onto land, which made Aiden grin. Yet it was with a sigh Aiden that slid off his transfigured raft and swam to shore. He noticed that land was just a relative term, for the land was actually an inch or so under water. As he walked, he spotted a small village built into the cave walls. A cage with four figures a top of it was being pushed into another cave, and this one was void of any and all light.

Surrounding the cage, and hiding in the small houses, were small creatures about the size of a Dread Gnome but with a dog like face, no hair, and large bat like ears. A moment later, just before the cage disappeared from sight, Aiden recognised Lief and he was about to shout out in anger but restrained himself and began to walk towards the cave.

As he moved the little people stared at him, growing silent as they identified the anger on his face. Two little people were arguing about lighting up the darkness, and Aiden just pushed passed them without breaking stride.

"If you're not going to help them stand aside and let me through," Aiden ordered as a few more little people stood in his path. "I am not going to have them die. If anything, I'm going to kill them all for not telling me that they were leaving."

"What could you possibly do?!" one of the little people demanded. He appeared to be some kind of leader as his clothing was slightly different to everyone else's.

"Light up the place," Aiden spat at him. "You are far too cowardly to do so, and I can easily set the place on fire if I have to."

"Let the Longhair pass Worron!" the little woman demanded of the leader. "This may be our only chance to be free of the Fear!"

Aiden glared at him and took off his gloves. If he was going to fight he would need as much power as possibly. The woman, who Aiden heard being addressed as Nols, gasped upon spotting his bracelet. Aiden barely glanced at her before drawing in as much power as he could. His eyes closed as he focused, and when he opened them his emerald eyes were burning and flames sprung up on his arms. He pushed his arms forward and instantly the darkness before him retreated as the flames lit up every corner of the cavern.

"Stand aside," he ordered again. Without even thinking of disobeying his order, the two blocking his path ran away and Aiden strode forwards. Water below his feet heated up and steam started to rise up into the air.

"Protector!" Nols called out suddenly. Aiden paused but didn't turn. "Good luck!"

Aiden smiled slightly, he would have to ask them later how much they knew about the world above. They didn't strike him as the kind of people who would willing leave their cave.

The path that the cage had taken was straight, but at the edge were a long drop, and a monster unlike anything Aiden had ever seen before. Monstrous tentacles flailed in every direction, striking out at the intruders to its nest, and on the wall opposite Aiden was the body of the beast. It could have been a squid or an octopus, it could have been a hermit crab with that shell behind it, but Aiden knew that this creature before him was more of a dark experiment than any natural beast. It was far too big be a normal creature, this was something that the Shadow Lord had created to prevent easy travel below ground, something that shouldn't exist at all.

This was the Fear.

He couldn't see the others, even though he knew that they were down there. The tentacles reached for him, sensing him where it couldn't see, and without even thinking about it he sent the strongest _reducto _that he could manage. The tentacles were blasted apart and the most horrible sound erupted from the beast that Aiden smiled.

Magic flew in every direction. And even though Aiden could feel his energy fading he continued to destroy the creature one tentacle at a time. It continued to scream and then at the last moment Aiden spotted Glock making his way to the mouth of the beast. Nothing Aiden could have done would have saved Glock as the man thrust his sword through the creature's mouth and down his throat. He could, however, make sure that the others were safe by wrapping their bodies in protective shields so that they wouldn't be crushed by the now collapsing tentacles.

Once there was silence Aiden let the shields fall. The last thing that he needed to do was erase the Fear from existence. His magic lashed out and after two minutes there wasn't a sign that the Fear had been in that cavern…it was gone. He sank to his knees, exhausted, and waited for the others to return. The little people appeared next to him, and he blinked up at the one he recognised as Nols. She helped him to stand and led him away so that the others could rescue the upworlders.

"Protector, you were amazing to watch," Nols said as she helped him hobble to the village. "Doran spoke of the power of the Protector often, but he said that the power had dimmed until it was almost non-existent. To see you do that…that is not the case anymore, is it?"

"The power of the Belt has been restored, and in turn so has the Protector's power," Aiden explained. "But Lief is going to get himself killed if he keeps on insisting going off without letting me know where he is going."

"Doran never told my ancestors that using magic drained you," Nols continued, smiling a little as she heard the worry in Aiden's voice. "You look to be moments from passing out."

"I am," Aiden admitted. "I haven't used magic like that since the Shadow Lord was driven back beyond the mountains. It may sound like a cliché, but magic comes with a price. For me, it's my energy. Every time I cast a spell, I lose a little of myself."

"Your magic is killing you?"

Aiden looked up and turned so that he could see Lief. The King was standing just behind him with a horrified expression on his face. Behind him were Barda and Jasmine, and their expressions echoed Lief's. Aiden closed his eyes for a moment. He had always intended to tell his friends that there was a price to magic, but he hadn't intended on using those words when explaining it.

"In a sense," he told them slowly. "Any energy that I use up, I can usually regain after eating a good meal."

"Usually?" Lief asked.

"If I use a lot of magic at once it takes a little longer, and I sometimes don't get it all back."

"What happens then?" Jasmine asked.

"I take it easy for a while, I get stronger, and I do the exact same thing again."

"Were you ever going to tell us…tell me?" Lief asked, anger in his eyes. Aiden shrugged off his weakness and pulled Lief away from the others. Despite how angry Lief appeared to be, he still helped Aiden to walk lest he fall over. As soon as they were a slight distance away, where they could be seen but not heard, Aiden stopped and leant against a nearby wall.

"Well?" Lief asked, kneeling in the water in front of him.

"The most important thing that you need to be thinking of at this moment is freeing the slaves in the Shadowlands," Aiden told him. "Then, and only then, can you turn your focus to the internal matters of Deltora. What is your plan taking this road?"

"Rebuild the Pirran Pipe," Lief replied with a sigh. "Are you strong enough to join us?"

"Rebuilding the Pipe? Well, that's better than your plan of 'get to the Shadowlands and free the slaves, somehow'," Aiden muttered. "And Marilen is fine, she knows how to contact me."

"Then you should contact her, rest, and we'll travel tomorrow."

"You need to rest too, would you like me to heal your arm?"

"My arm will be fine," Lief said, looking down at his slightly bloody arm from where the Fear had attached him. Aiden nodded, and with Lief's help was able to stand again. They walked back over to the others.

"Your friend will be honoured among us," Nols said as they came within earshot. Glock's body was carried passed them, shrouded and cloaked in red. "He will lie with the Pipers of Plume, and never be forgotten."

Aiden lowered his eyes in respect, staying silent as the body continued. Jasmine's eyes followed the body, before returning to Nols and smiling.

"Glock would like that," she said. "He would like to take his place with chiefs."

"Our debt to him, and to you, can never be repaid," Nols continued. "We have little enough to give, but whatever we have is yours. Boats for your journey. Food. Light, as far as we are able to supply it…"

Aiden waited with baited breath. He knew what Lief would ask, and he could see how Jasmine and Barda were also waiting. Lief took a breath to prepare himself, and everyone looked at him.

"There is one thing which only you can give us. It is a treasure we dearly need – though only for a time. The mouthpiece of the Pirran Pipe."

Nols stepped back from them, a stricken look on her face. The people around her started to whisper, their murmurs showing just how upset they were with the request. Lief looked back at Aiden, Barda and Jasmine in dismay. Barda was frowning in angry disbelief, Jasmine, who knew nothing of the Pirran Pipe just yet, was confused, and Aiden was apathetic. He just wanted to go rest, update Marilen on what was happening, and regain his strength.

"I know we ask a great deal," Lief continued desperately. "But I beg you to consider our request. If we are able to save our people from the Shadow Lord we must make the Pipe whole again. It is the one thing the Shadow Lord fears. The one thing that may give us time to–"

Nols held up her hand at the same time that Aiden reached forward and placed his hand on Lief's shoulder. Lief looked at Aiden in confused desperation, but Aiden just shook his head slowly.

"You do not understand," Nols said with a trembling voice. "It is not that we _will_ not give you the mouthpiece of the Pipe. It is that we _cannot_. It was lost long ago."

"Not lost – stolen!" Worron stated sharply and with much anger. He strode towards the group, an imposing figure in red. "The symbol of the Piper's leadership was stolen from the people by the Seven Traitors – the wicked ones who left the safety of our seas for the world above."

"It was in ancient times, when the Plumes' time in the world below had not been long," Nols explained quietly. "The people of those days were not accustomed to the caverns, as we are. It is written that the rebels planned to find a place of safety, then return and lead the Plumes back into the sun. But they never returned."

"That sounds familiar," Aiden admitted. Nols nodded at him.

"Doran the Dragonlover told our ancestors that they had all lost their lives. He knew a tale of it. It was an old tale often told, he said, by the members of a savage Longhair tribe called Jalis, whose own ancestors had done the killing."

"Yes," said Worron maliciously. "The Seven Traitors were destroyed, and the mouthpiece of the Pipe with them, no doubt. So if the Pipe is what you have come here to seek, Longhairs, your journey, your time, and your friend's life, have all been wasted."

"Wasted?" Aiden asked, glaring at the little man. "The Fear is dead. You no longer have to be afraid of it. No more sacrifices! Glock's death is sad, but he died a warrior's death and for that I know that he is happy!"

"We do thank you for that," another little person said. "But–"

The little person broke off, staring at Jasmine. Aiden followed his gaze and saw that Jasmine had Glock's talisman in her hands. He assumed that the warrior had bestowed it upon her as he had no other family left. But what had drawn everyone's attention was what had been inside the talisman. A dusty, oddly-shaped piece of wood now sat in the palm of her hand, and that was what everyone couldn't take their eyes off of.

Nols reached out and took the object reverently. She slowly dipped it into the water, and centuries of dirt and dust loosened up and lifted away. When she stood up, the wood in her hands seemed to glow, a small miracle of shining wood and strange, carved patterns.

"The mouthpiece of the Pirran Pipe," she whispered.

"What-? Where-?" Worron stuttered, eyes wide.

"Glock had it all the time," Jasmine explained calmly. "It was part of a talisman passed down to him by his family. He had no idea it was anything more than a lucky charm. Neither did I, until a few moments ago – and even then I only suspected the truth."

"It is a miracle!" Nols cried in joy. "Our treasure has been returned to us! Now we can pay our debt to you."

Lief accepted the mouthpiece with a smile. He turned to Barda who was staring at the mouthpiece in amazement. There was excitement in Lief's eyes as he started to speak about the next island, the Island of Auron.

"First we must find our way back to Del," Barda firmly protested. "Doom is waiting for us there, with supplies, fighters–"

"No!" cried Jasmine fiercely. "There can be no delay! Time is running out! We must–"

She broke off, realising that all three boys were looking at her. Aiden stared at her curiously. There had been something personal in her desperation, something familiar.

"Why do you say this Jasmine?" Barda asked.

"I heard…heard that the Shadow Lord was going to kill the prisoners. Very soon."

"Birds told you this?" Lief asked sharply. Aiden watched her closely. So many emotions rushed passed her eyes, conflict, desperation, hope…before she nodded. Sometimes Aiden wished that he could read minds.

"Then we must go on," Lief said instantly. "The four of us."

"No!" Barda growled. "You, at least, cannot–"

"I can," Lief stated firmly. "Aiden's with us, and I think it was always meant that I should."

"But you are Deltora's King!" cried Jasmine.

"And I am his Protector," Aiden told her with a frown. "Do you doubt my ability to keep him alive?"

"I cannot be a prisoner," Lief added. "I may be the king, but I am still Lief. Please, I have to do this."

Barda and Jasmine knew that nothing they said would change his mind. Aiden grinned slightly before it faded as he swayed on the spot. He really needed to rest. Lief seemed to sense his growing weakness, for he moved closer to his side and when they were provided with a place to sleep, helped the Protector to somewhere dry.

Aiden collapsed onto a bed with a sigh of relief. He heard Lief chuckle and move off to the others to talk without disturbing him. Once Aiden was sure he was gone he slipped his left hand over the bracelet and connected to Marilen.

_Adin's Heir, can you talk?_

He heard a shriek, and he knew that he'd startled Marilen. Several minutes passed before he felt Marilen using the Belt to talk with him.

_Protector?_

_Yep, how are you?_

_How am I?_ Marilen asked. _How are you? Why does your voice feel exhausted?_

_Found Lief. His plan for 'rescue the slaves in the Shadowlands, somehow' is underway so we won't be back for a while. Will you be alright on your own for a few weeks minimum, a few months max?_

_Yeah, no one knows that I'm here. I'll update you when something happens._

_Thanks, let Sharn and Doom know that we're safe? Oh, and Glock died a hero's death._

_I will, my condolences for Glock's death. Now get some sleep! If I have to contact you every day to make sure that you're eating, I will._

_Yes ma'am._

Aiden grinned as he lifted his hand from the bracelet. Marilen was fine. He hoped that it would take a while to get to the Shadowlands. He needed to give Sion a little more time before they were ready to move. Timing was everything now.

The Shadow Lord wouldn't know what hit him.

Aiden slowly drifted off to sleep, the only sound reaching him were the waves crashing against the houses and melodic voices raised together in joy and freedom.

_Above our land the tumult rages, Struggle echoes through the ages, There the strife may never cease, But here below we dwell in peace. Where timeless tides swamp memory, Our sunless prison makes us free. The gem-glow lights our rocky walls, And dragons guard our shining halls._

* * *

_**Next up in Deltora's Protector:**_

_**Chapter 18 – Treachery of the Aurons**_


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